Tales from Sendar's Time
by flightyclouds
Summary: The story of a group of Trainees, one a girl with an unhealthy obsession with the new Weapons Second, and another a former Karsite adjusting to life in Valdemar. Set during Exile's Honor.
1. Introduction, part 1

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own what you recognize as Mercedes Lackey's. Also, if anyone has opened this in the hopes that they will find a fanfic about King Sendar's life, they will be disappointed. He was pretty cool though.

Feedback is much appreciated! And does anyone know how to get a beta reader?

* * *

**Alys**

"Here you are-two beers!" Alys beamed at her customers, as though the beer was actually drinkable. Her customers grinned at her, because despite this they were still going to drink it. It was rather curious, but their preferences weren't her concern-just their tabs. Seeing that they were satisfied, Alys hopped back to get the next orders, ducking flailing arms as she passed a particularly intense card game.

Her workplace was nowhere near Exile's Gate, but if anyone saw the tavern today, they might have been fooled. Although certainly the new customers had a hand in the ruckus, Alys wasn't sure if it was their rowdy personalities or the game that was being played, or perhaps even some celebration or event in town that she missed while she was in classes. Oh well, she wasn't the type to dwell on such matters, and so she ignored it.

Until it finally turned into an all out brawl.

_I suppose I would have seen that coming, if I had thought about it_, she admitted, as a mug narrowly missed her between the brows. But thinking about things was, admittedly, not her style. Alys never found this as a huge problem, but she was certainly paying dearly for that quirk now. Before she knew it, she was scrambling to find some safe ground in the small tavern, ducking mugs and escaping thrown chairs as the angry yells multiplied around her. _Perhaps I should petition the owner for softer mugs. _She tried to remember everything she learned from weapons classes about evasion, but nothing had prepared her for this, especially since she was unarmed and, honestly, didn't remember much from weapons classes anyway.

_Maybe I should have listened to Elyssa and brought something for protection_, she conceded to her absent friend, who always seemed to think Alys was going to be assaulted the moment she stepped outside of the Collegium. Okay, so some kind of shield or knife to parry off the flying plates would have been comforting. Or maybe it wouldn't have made a difference, since she was hopeless with anything involving a blade. She attempted to reach the safe cover of the bar but, in the end, managed to get farther away from it as she danced around the breaking mugs. The owner was nowhere to be seen, and the tavern guards couldn't contain the unusually large brawl. Just as she was applauding herself for having cleared all obstacles so far, she tripped on an overturned chair, ungracefully slamming into the floor.

_Lord and lady, that hurts! It hurts!_ She winced, clutching her head and waited for the stars to clear. Hearing a particularly piercing yell behind her, she turned just in time to see the table coming toward her. _Oh gods that's going to hurt more-_

Unable to escape in time, she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the impact. The impact, however, mysteriously never arrived. She dared to open an eye, wondering if it toppled over before it hit her, but instead she found a tall man in front of her, his foot having stopped the table. Though his back was turned to her, his hardened physique was unmistakeable as he kicked the table back into the thicket. The sword in his right hand pointed to the door, and he said one, heavy word.

"Go!"

**Elyssa**

"And that's when I fell in love!" Alys swooned, falling back into the bathing basin. Elyssa sighed with a palpable exasperation.

"Alys, every time you tell this story he gets taller, stronger, deeper voiced and more handsome. You still realize that there's no way you could have seen his face, right?"

"Ooh, maybe I have Farsight then!" Elyssa rolled her eyes and threw a sponge at her.

"_Fantasy_ sight is what you have! I've known blind men who could see better than you!" Elyssa scrubbed her friend down, as the girl wasn't actually bathing more than blowing bubbles of mirth in her bath. Even when Elyssa picked out a splinter from her back (those thrice damned mugs!), Alys paid her no attention, her brown eyes gazing lovingly at some point in the distance. "But now you see my point, yes? Your job is dangerous. Your orphanage is already being cared for by the Crown, so there is no point in you trying to make extra money. You should quit." But Alys was having none of that.

"Elyssa, you know Midwinter is coming up! Sure the Crown is taking care of their _basic_ needs, but how can it be Midwinter festival without presents?" Hearing her joyful tone devoid of any doubt, Elyssa refrained from mentioning that presents weren't part of any tradition on her side of the Border.

"Haven't you been making blankets at the sewing room?" Elyssa asked rhetorically. Having grown up in a poor orphanage, Alys's eyes bulged when she'd first spotted the mountain of feathers in the sewing room that was the chaff of Collegia dinners. Ever since, she'd spent countless marks hording them, turning her room into a sea of cushion with only one bare spot for her boots. "Why not simply gift those? Those will be useful in winter, and they're also not anything the kids could afford." Alys shook her head.

"I've been giving each little a blanket on their Birthing Day, so I have to give them something new this time! And don't say pillows, because I'm going to be giving them some on their next Birthing Days!" Elyssa closed her mouth, wondering how even Alys was starting to read her correctly. "As an older sib, I have to take care of them. It's my job to have a job!" Alys laughed at her wordplay, though Elyssa just sighed.

"You realize you're not supposed to have one, yes? Especially one as a serving girl! I hope you realize-"

"Yes Elyssa, I've heard all your stories about serving girls at _Exile's Gate_," Alys retorted promptly, taking the soap from her fussing friend. "Don't worry, the owner takes good care of me!"

"The owner does _not_ take good care of you. If he did, he would have discharged you by now!" Elyssa was trying very hard not to wring her hands, but her anxiety went unnoticed. Alys was by no means the sharpest blade in the salle, much to the chagrin of the unrequited Hannan.

"Oh you worry too much!" Alys chirped brightly. "The owner hasn't discharged me only because he's still looking for a replacement. In any case, I think nothing's wrong-Lani thinks nothing's wrong, and therefore there's nothing wrong!" Elyssa wanted badly to tell her that Lani was quite the prankster, but one of the few things Alys was sensitive about was her inability to speak to her Companion, so she simply stared at Alys with disapproval, hoping to get some message across. "Besides, I met the man I love there! He was really wonderful! Perhaps this is the feeling of a lifebond?" She was looking off to the roof of the building, but for some reason her eyes were reflecting stars.

"Oh no, don't you dare start on that again," Elyssa interjected quickly, and desperately changed the subject. "Tomorrow we have Weapons class, yes? We're going to meet that evil Karsite Trainee that everyone's been talking about." The topic change had the desired effect, as Alys's expression quickly returned from the clouds.

"Do you think he's going to pick on me? He didn't last time, but that was just because we were working with staves-if we work with blades, I might be the first to be punished!"

"Well, he's not going to punish you more than what you've already seen," Elyssa reassured, though she was only giving this Alberich the benefit of the doubt. Alys shivered, as though finally realizing how long they had spent in the bath.

"I've seen _beat up_ people, that's who I've seen! Jehan looked like he got caught in a pack of raging mules!" Elyssa wasn't sure about Alys's choice of analogies but figured this was the least of her worries.

"Well, admittedly he deserved it. He was getting full of himself," Elyssa said, with just a tinge of superiority. Her parents had taught her much better than whatever tutors Jehan's family had bought. Her styles were less flashy but much more practical. Of course, it would be too unseemly to pull off some of the moves her father had shown her-

"Elyssa, I'm cold!" Alys sneezed as if for emphasis. "Let's get out of here!" Elyssa laughed and agreed to the first sensible thing her friend had said all night.

**Eldren**

"Right! Left! Right! Right!" Dethor's voice carried over the salle, each order a blow itself. Eldren attacked Hannan accordingly, and for the most part, Hannan was parrying well. Eldren watched him closely, and the moment the boy's brown eyes misted over, Eldren hit him as fast as he could.

"Ouch-hey! That was uncalled for!" Hannan rubbed his arm for emphasis. Eldren simply shrugged.

"You're supposed to be practicing with me. If that were a real sword, that arm would be nothing but a stump," Eldren grinned, resuming the old pace once Hannan regained his bearings. The other boy was still rather disgruntled but unable to glare at Eldren as his gaze was too busy wandering elsewhere. "Hannan, you know Alys obsesses about something or someone every moon-you shouldn't let it bother you so much." The boy jumped, looking at him with a startled expression, and Eldren used the opportunity to hit him again.

"I-I di-didn't-I mean, I didn't say anything-"

"You never say anything!" Eldren palmed his face, wondering why he transformed into a pile of jelly every time he thought of Alys. "Don't you think that's part of the problem?"

"But Eldren-what if-what if she's really lifebonded this time?" he whined, stealing a glance at Alys, who was busy being guided by Elyssa. The idea of Alys being lifebonded to anyone made Eldren laugh, as he was unable to picture what kind of person could be that girl's lifemate.

"Right! Head! Right!" Eldren watched as Alys fumbled a bit, but somehow managed to continue to parry her partner. Eldren smiled at the sight of the two-Alys, who could just as well use a sword as summon Astera herself, was somehow managing to look half competent as the masterful Elyssa Hasenhower maneuvered her into the right positions. Despite her exertions, Alys's mop of light brown curls never seemed to lose their bounce under a head of sweat. Elyssa, of course, was hardly exerting herself at all, her black hair flowing gracefully from her ponytail. Hannan's obsession with Alys despite Elyssa's presence confused Eldren, but to each his own. It only meant that if Eldren ever decided to pursue a relationship, the coast would be clear-

_:You lecherous whelp, you,:_ mocked his Companion. _:Thinking about those kinds of things while you're still in the middle of Weapons class!:_

_:Don't worry, dear 'Trel, you're always my number one,:_ Eldren replied, taking advantage of Hannan's distraction to tap him again.

_:Pfft!:_ Rantrel snorted. _:Even if I were human shaped and shaych, I wouldn't bed you.: _

_:That's cold, 'Trel. Why, even in your horse shape, I still can't help but imagine-:_

_:Oh Lady Bright, stop it! You, my Chosen, are crazy.:_ Rantrel sent his amusement down the bond, which Eldren graciously accepted, only to be hit not so graciously by the Weapons Second.

"Weaponsmaster, pay attention says," the man said coolly, a hint sardonically. Eldren only agreed, scoring a quick hit on the still dazed Hannan. The Weapons Second's blow was going to hurt, but he deserved it anyway. Soon enough, Dethor called for a change of partners. Eldren quickly picked the closest acceptable partner before Dethor could assign him another cottonhead like Hannan. Elyssa was, unfortunately, too far away for him to choose, so he settled for-

_:I thought you weren't going to start pursuing yet?:_ interrupted Rantrel dryly. Eldren sent him the knowing rebuke of teacher to inexperienced disciple.

_:Dear 'Trel, here's a piece of advice-if you're considering doing something-or someone-, you should set yourself up into a good position first.:_

_:You incurable lecher,:_ Rantrel sighed, sounding every bit the near celibate stallion that he was. _:Well, Elyssa's not going to look twice at you with her baby girl to look after.:_ Eldren conceded that-despite her occasional professionalism, Elyssa turned into a fretful mother whenever Alys so much as tripped. He could only imagine how she was going to handle Alys going on circuit, but luckily that day didn't seem very close at hand. Eldren focused on his current partner, another Trainee, exchanging a heady number of blows until a commotion broke out behind him.

"Why you scumbag-take that back!" Surprised, Eldren whirled around to see none other than Alys in the middle of a scuffle. He looked to her partner and knew why-somehow, she had been partnered with Jedeth, a highnosed, arrogant Blue that was inordinately proud of his own weaponswork. Eldren once had the misfortune of being paired with him, and the first thing Jedeth did was try to find a way of taunting him for his less than blue lineage. Of course, Jedeth shut up pretty quickly when Eldren told stories of his sister that even her dear brother wasn't privy to-

_:Might I remind you that was a terrible thing to do?:_ Rantrel scolded, as though he hadn't gotten a giggle out of the incident too. _:He could have bullied his sister for that-you don't know how strict their family is.:_

_:Nah, he's not the physical type. Besides, I'd like to see him try anything on Jenelli-that lovely damsel would bend him into a pastry twist and leave him like that.:_ Yes, Jen was quite strong-and _quite_ flexible herself-

"Stop that!" Dethor's powerful bellow jolted Eldren from his pleasant reminiscence. Remembering Jen would have to wait. Who knows what Alys had gotten herself into? Though he could already spot the Weapons Second handling the situation, Eldren pushed his way through the crowd anyway out of curiosity. Hannan, as expected, was watching Alys with a fretful look on his face. Elyssa, as expected, was in the middle of the scene, eyes glaring at Jedeth but mouth in a polite smile. Jedeth was being escorted away by the Second, his straight blond hair not quite as perfect as it had been at the start of class. And Alys-

"I can't believe a Trainee would act so immature," Dethor spat, adding in her punishment (extra laps around the salle) between insults. Little did he know, his words were falling onto deaf ears. Alys's face was lit up, her eyes starry, gazing intently on the back of the retreating Weapons Second. Eldren knew that look.

And knew it meant nothing good.


	2. Introduction, part 2

**Hannan**

"You have a crush on _Alberich? _The Weapons Second? The _evil Karsite Trainee?_" Eldren and Elyssa looked at each other, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Eldren was clearly leaning towards laughing, but Elyssa looked close to hysterical. Alys pouted.

"He's clearly not evil! In fact, he's my _savior_," she gushed, her eyes misting over into a sea of adoration. Hannan said nothing because he knew it would only come out as a whine.

_If only I'd been there last night, _he lamented. _Wait, but what if it is fate? What if she _is _lifebonded like she says she is-_

_:Oh spare me,: _Erron interjected, _:She's lifebonded every other moon.:_

_:That's not true!: _objected Hannan immediately. Though he objected at any implication of Alys's imperfection, it didn't take him long to realize that Erron was at least right in principle.

_:I'm glad you still think my words mean something,: _Erron bristled. Dismayed, Hannan scrambled to apologize, but Erron sent his forgiveness before he could put together a coherent thought-which was good, since that might have been never. _:Anyway, her Companion's a joker. Everyone else agrees that she's delusional, but Lani isn't going to be nudging her in the right direction anytime soon.:_

_:She isn't delusional,: _he replied automatically. Erron sighed heavily through the mental link.

_:I know you like her, Chosen-_everyone _knows you like Alys except herself. Maybe if you were honest about your feelings, she wouldn't be chasing everything tall and mysterious that comes her way.: _Well, it wasn't like he hadn't _tried-_but all his attempts seemed to end with him standing stupidly in front of her, tongue tied to the point he might as well have been mute. Fortunately, she was very good at holding conversations by herself-

_:Is that really a good thing?: _Erron asked, though this time Hannan could answer wholly in her favor. Alys's cheer and free spirit was what had attracted him to her in the first place-no matter the day or weather, she was as bright as the sun, and it was a quality that Hannan admired deeply.

Elyssa, however, clearly disapproved.

"Alys, are you even hearing yourself?" she asked, though her agitation didn't seem to be getting through to her friend at all. "You think you're in love with the Weapons Second, a man twice your age, because you _think_ you saw his back _in a tavern._"

"Love is blind!" Was the immediate response. Eldren saw that Elyssa's nerves were strained and evidently decided that the Borderkin had reached her limit.

"Honestly Alys," he interrupted, "why would Alberich have any reason to be at a tavern? Sure he's a grown man, but as far as I understand, between taking classes, being Weapons Second, and being under watch as a Karsite, there's no way on Velgarth that he would be alone in a tavern. You must have seen some other guy who happened to help out a poor serving girl stuck in the middle of a brawl."

"And you better quit that job soon or-"

"There's nothing wrong with me having a job, besides the fact that the Collegium doesn't want me to!" Alys stated defiantly, apparently not listening to what she was saying at all. "Besides, haven't I met my love because of my job?"

"For Havens' sake, he is _not_ your true love-"

"Oh you two, let's settle down, shall we?" Eldren placed his hand on both of the girls' shoulders, calming them with his smooth, assured voice and clever words. Eldren always seemed to have a handle on any situation he was in-great in all his classes, he was the closest to his Whites of the four, and unbelievably suave to boot.

_I should really get some tips from that man._

"Well, I've got to go do my house duties," Eldren stretched in his seat, having pacified the girls to his content. "What are you all going to be up to?"

"I have to practice my weaponswork," Elyssa replied, a response that recurred so often that her friends no longer bothered to ask why. Alys's face lit up again.

"I'm going to figure Alberich's schedule," she declared brightly and ran off before Hannan or anyone else could protest. Her tailing tendencies had surfaced once again-

_:You realize you mean stalking, right?:_

-and Hannan was going to find it difficult to spend time with her until it was over.

_:You realize your pain is self inflicted, right?:_

**And one more**

"You realize your pain is self inflicted, yes?" Elyssa asked, echoing Erron's words a few moons before. Hannan sighed.

"Kind of, but for some reason I get nervous when I try to tell her how I feel." Their Companions settled easily in step, and they traversed the Field in a light canter. Elyssa laughed, a soft giggle fit for any highborn.

"I think it's ridiculous that you would be nervous about telling Alys something," she said lightly, though the grip on her reins indicated her continuing annoyance with Alys. "Considering all the silly things she tells us, you could tell her you were Karsite, and she'd take it in tow. In fact, she might even start following _you _around." Hannan briefly wondered if saying such a thing would actually work, but suppressed the idea quickly. Elyssa gave a shudder. "On that note, I can't believe we'll be having a _second _Karsite Trainee-and an assassin to boot-" She cut off, her anxiety clearly overwhelming her. Hannan had to sympathize-a moon ago, both of them had received panicked calls from their Companions of an attack on Selenay. By the time they arrived at the road, they saw none other than Alberich fending off a would-be assassin. The road was fairly abandoned, and the only ones present were some Companions and their Chosen, as they had received notification from Caryo and Kantor. Some of the Heralds were looking around wildly, searching for any sign of another assassin in their midst. Most of the Trainees, however, only watched with a morbid fascination. Their Weapons Second was good-better than they had ever known. No matter how hard a beating they had taken from him, they now knew he had always been going easy. The man could move like a demon-and one in the name of Valdemar.

Inside, everyone had surely cheered for Alberich-until he struck his final blow. When his opponent fell, robbed of all the vigor that he had seemingly possessed with no end, Hannan had finally spared a good look at the assassin-and was shocked. The opponent, which he had imagined as a dervish with the Karsite features of Alberich, was in reality a boy no older than Hannan. His limbs were splayed out uselessly, all equally pitiful in appearance, and his face showed nothing but pain. The other Trainees had taken a step back, barely audible gasps revealing that they, too, realized what Hannan had.

And then, as though the Havens hadn't shocked them enough, a powerful neigh trumpeted through the air, its owner galloping at the full speed of a Companion. People scrambled to get out of her way, though she had complete control of the situation. The Companion stopped in front of none other than the assassin, who then closed his eyes in a bliss that Hannan had never before seen. Bards might have called it _fey_, a happiness that appears in one about to leave this world-though it was clear the Companion wasn't going to let that happen.

No one really knew how to react; no matter how one looked at it, a would be killer of Valdemar's Heir being Chosen was simply too ridiculous of a situation. Only the Healers, who had caught wind of the situation from some Heralds, reacted immediately on the scene, giving the boy emergency care without hesitation.

That was already more than Hannan could stomach in one day, but later he, along with everyone else present, were then given express orders to claim that the assassin had died. Since everyone consisted only of Greys, Whites, and Greens, them conforming was a nonissue, but the implication of it riled many, particularly Elyssa. An heir to a Holding on the Border, Elyssa was downright unforgiving-she only trusted Alberich after seeing him protect Selenay with everything he had, and honestly Alberich had done nothing before then that would rouse the suspicions of anyone.

_Well, besides be in Alys's tavern. _But Alys had yet to see him there again, so it could have been a mistake.

"Since they put him through Truth Spell, I suppose I can give him a chance," Elyssa continued painfully, as though the compromise had cost her everything she had, "but I don't know if I'll be able to talk to him without twitching. Well, I don't expect that I will be _forced _to deal with him-I'm sure they would know better than to assign me as his mentor." _Don't worry about that Elyssa, I bet they all know. _Hannan sighed and decided not to tell her after all.

_:Girls scare you, don't they? You know she's going to find out eventually,: _Erron admonished.

_:Not necessarily,: _Hannan replied uncertainly, _:He might not want me to help him all the time. Didn't you say he's integrated pretty well into Valdemar already?:_

_:Trainees have lived here all their lives and still need mentors,: _Erron pointed out. _:And what if he needs relationship advice-oh, well I suppose you couldn't give that to him anyway.:_

_:Th-that-er-well, you're mean.:_ He could almost hear the chortle coming from between the stallion's ears.

* * *

"I suppose," Healer Crathach remarked dryly, "that we should just start rounding up every Karsite that spouts off about honor. Maybe then we can get them Chosen before they get themselves half killed." By the end of that sentence, Crathach wasn't the only one looking to Alberich, and the Weapons Second gave them all a scowl that would have scared off half his students.

_:This boy does resemble you, Chosen. Doesn't it feel nice to have a fellow Trainee friend?: _Kantor quipped playfully. Alberich gave him a mental scowl as well.

Admittedly, he had noted the similarities between them-their aspiration to live by a code of honor, their shock when they discovered Valdemar wasn't full of witches and demons, and not least of all their strange status as Karsite peasants that were Chosen in rather unconventional ways.

As though Alberich's story of being kidnapped by a White Demon who had smuggled himself across the Karsite border wasn't incredulous enough, the boy in front of them had been Chosen as he was dying on the road to Haven after an attempt to kill Alberich and Selenay. In his defense, he was pretending and apparently was "only" trying to get himself killed instead-though that blatant disregard for his own life was hardly any better.

_:Chosen, are you still calling us White Demons?:_

More of a question was how this boy managed to _stop_ calling Companions that. Was it because he was young, and Valdemar was able to make a stronger impression on him? Was it because he came here by his own will? Perhaps dealings with his temporary employer in Haven? The number of questions Alberich still harbored about this boy was surprising, considering he had been questioned for a good two marks and the Truth Spell had never waivered.

_Admittedly, he did refuse to answer quite a few questions._

Young though he was, the boy had recognized the talk for what it was-an interrogation. The Karsite assassin had staunchly refused to disclose information about his employer in Karse (though it didn't take much for Alberich to guess it was a Sunpriest), adamantly refused to talk about other possible spies he might have known, and drew a total blank on the impending war with the Tedrels. All the information he had of the Tedrels were from word of mouth in the Collegia-which Alberich still found interesting, since that information was not public yet. To prepare the citizens for future hardship, King Sendar had made a warning about the Foreseers having predicted small harvests; perhaps wisely, he was waiting for everyone to enjoy their last Midwinter Festival before he sent out official messengers about the truth to the Borders.

"Well," Talamir began lightly, indicating the end of the interrogation, "it appears you've integrated yourself with Valdemar fairly well already." The boy nodded, his nature as a spy entirely absent.

"I like Valdemar," he said earnestly, which contrasted so greatly to Talamir's first talk with the newly Chosen Alberich that half the adults had to hide their laughter. "I want to return to tell Karse about what I've learned," the boy added hopefully, though Talamir rejected the idea immediately.

"That, I'm afraid, you can't do," he said, giving a look to Alberich, who wordlessly agreed. "Though only the Heralds and Trainees that arrived to aid Selenay and Alberich know of your identity, all of the Council and Court knows there has been an assassination attempt at the Heir." _And quite a ruckus that made-at least now the Council can't accuse me of trying to kill Selenay myself. _The boy opened his mouth to object, but Talamir raised a hand to quiet him. "To correct their impression would be to risk exposing your identity as the culprit. Although the Heralds _will_ learn to accept the reasons for your actions," Talamir continued, his tone saying that he would personally make it so, "it would not be so easy to gain the trust of other Valdemarans. Therefore, we will be keeping your true origins secret. Your command of Valdemaran is superb, so you will easily be able to pass off as one from the Border. However, as you will be expected to act as an average Valdemaran Trainee, you will essentially have to give up your Karsite heritage for now."

"I will try my best to follow your instructions," the former assassin agreed dutifully, "though I will not lie if questioned." Talamir frowned.

"In the off chance that someone asks you what country you are from, I ask that you reply Valdemar."

"I won't," the boy replied, his brows knitting to a stubborn furrow, "because lying is wrong." The former Sunsguard captain wondered again how the boy had retained such a persona in his line of work. He was so stupidly honest that Alberich found himself worried about how he would integrate with the social classes in Haven. His moral code was unwavering, and it made his duty as an assassin that much more unbelievable. He could have been putting on a kind of act, as the Truth Spell wasn't really known to detect mannerisms, but Alberich strongly suspected this was not the case. Well, that stubborn righteousness would certainly fit in with _some _Heralds-

_:Shall we take that as a compliment?: _Kantor asked, his presence settling in Alberich's mind again.

_:Depends on the situation,: _Alberich replied. Kantor left often lately, normally to keep order among the Companions. As assured as they now were of the boy's morality, the Companions were rather irked by his Companion Alvira. Apparently she had Chosen without a clear Calling, and the other Companions thus had suspicions about both the boy and the judiciousness of Choosing him. Supposedly Heralds were often Chosen when they were needed, so the possibility of Alvira giving up Choosing someone more integral to Valdemar's survival than the Karsite assassin may be unwise. Mysteries were aplenty, but Alberich could hardly concern himself with them.

_I know when something is out of my jurisdiction. Talamir's interrogation was thorough, so I can't imagine any Companions suspecting him like when I arrived. And even I can tell Alvira is not going to change her mind at this point, so we might as well play the cards we're dealt with rather than worry about what might have been._

And this, Alberich suspected, was going to be the only way for the Collegium to deal with Kerchen.


	3. At lunch

Hey all!

Thanks for staying with me here, despite there not being a plot in sight. So is this the sequel to A Spy's Choice? Nope. Why not? Well, the tone is just too different to really be called a sequel...

* * *

"So, um, hi. I'm Hannan," the boy said, not at all sounding like Kerchen's mentor. Kerchen eyed him questioningly. _Why is he so nervous?_

_:Oh, Hannan's pretty shy,: _Alvira answered flippantly. _:Er, and he was one of the Trainees who spotted the incident.: _Oh. _:But he's very nice, he won't hold it against you-that's why they picked him!: _she added hastily, as though she was worried Kerchen might take slight to anything at all.

_:It's alright, Alvira, I know that.: _As Sunpriest Goroch's agent, he had eavesdropped on nearly every Trainee. He knew Hannan was as mild and considerate as he looked; neither ugly nor strikingly handsome, he possessed gentle features and warm eyes-the type of person that set everyone at ease. Kerchen suspected that he was being handled as though he would explode at any moment.

_It's as if they don't trust their Truth Spell-and how many questions did King's Own Talamir ask me? _Admittedly, their first impression of him was still his pointing a knife at Alberich.

"This'll be your room. I'm actually right around the corner, if you need me," Hannan supplied helpfully, opening the door for the new Trainee. The room wasn't large, but it had a comfortable feel to it. Kerchen looked at the spacious bookcase with interest. _Will I need that many books? I suppose I should have learned to read a bit better at Magdee's. _Well, he could pick out numbers pretty well. "So, uh, you'll have house duties-oh, so all Trainees have to do chores around here-you're going to need clothes, but maybe you want a bath first? You have to haul in hot water from-or maybe the Housekeeper should orient you first? Um-"

"You do not have to try so hard," Kerchen said, cutting off the boy's stutters. "I know you were there."

_:Chosen, could you sound a little less menacing?:_

_:Menacing?: _Alvira always said interesting things-though seeing Hannan's reaction, he could also tell that she was right.

"Sound menacing, I did not mean," he corrected. Despite the imperfect Valdemaran, the statement had the desired effect on his mentor, who relaxed visibly.

"Well, compared to the other Karsite Trainee we have around here, you sound as innocuous as a rabbit." Hannan gave Kerchen a small but charming smile.

_:Smile back!: _Alvira prompted. Startled, Kerchen turned the corners of his mouth up uncertainly, but her advice seemed correct.

"Well, shall we go see the Housekeeper then? She'll give you some things and assign you your chores." The older boy took Kerchen down the stairs, and the latter followed dutifully.

_:You sure are taking this all in step,: _Alvira observed, with a hint of suspicion, _:Aren't you going to ask what kind of chores? It could be something terrible like latrine scrubbing.:_

_:I'm used to being given orders,: _Kerchen replied, though he could tell that his Companion wasn't pleased with his answer. Hannan opened a door leading to a whitewashed room. The elderly lady sitting at the sole desk in the room beamed at the two, obviously unaware of Kerchen's origins.

_:Let's not be cynical,: _Alvira objected. _:She'd still be nice to you, even if she knew you were Karsite. You know you were much sweeter when you were bedridden?: _She was probably right-he had been surrounded by Healers, whose only calling in life seemed to be to make everyone better, and Alvira's protective presence. It was only natural that he would only resume being judgmental after he left the Healer's Collegium.

"Are you a new Trainee, then?" She asked brightly. "Name's Mira, what's yours?"

"K-Kerchen," he answered, surprised by how her voice resembled Grandma Magdee's jovial tones. It wasn't until then that he realized how much he missed Dieder and Grandma Magdee, the two Valdemarans he had befriended. Suddenly, he remembered that he had said if he didn't visit within a moon, they should assume he was dead. When was he first admitted into the Healers' ward?

_:Honestly, did you have to be that dramatic?: _Kerchen could almost see her rolling her eyes. _:You better go see them soon!:_

_:Soon,: _Kerchen agreed. _:But it was simply the truth.:_

_:Sometimes the truth isn't always the best thing to say,: _Alvira sighed, and sighed again at Kerchen's incomprehension.

"What chores can you do?" Housekeeper Mira asked. Kerchen pondered this. Under his adoptive father Lugard, he had mostly helped tend to the sheep, though he doubted those skills would come in handy. Under the Holderkin, he again tended the livestock, since they didn't trust him in the actual homes. Under Sunpriest Goroch, he had been a spy and assassin-skills that would _probably_ not come in handy either. Despite being a Border peasant, he had little to offer.

"Maybe wash-or clean things?" Mira only smiled at him, as though this happened all the time.

"We'll figure something out for you," she said, looking over some papers. Kerchen caught Hannan's glance, and the latter smiled back encouragingly. So far, everything was going alright.

* * *

"Can you believe that? Dirt-everywhere!" Jedeth Levalen scoffed in disgust, dusting off his now immaculate Blues for contrast. That Trainee Alys had once again done a number to his uniform, and he was not at all pleased. True, Blues were cheap enough, but it was the walking around in dirty clothes that bothered him. As if a lowborn had any right even to talk back to him, let alone try to hit him-for anyone not a hateful Gray, it would have been the last thread, but this girl managed something every time he was forced to pair up with her. "If it weren't for the fact she had a white horse, she'd be sent off to a farm on the Border by now." There was a general murmur of assent. The Herald-Trainees were out of control, and their lessons in etiquette were clearly insufficient. Although it made for torturous classes, their barbarity at least made for good discussion.

"They only seem to be getting worse," Shendelle Fairtheld, a delicate looking girl across from him said, covering her mouth as though talking about peasants left a stench in her mouth. "I suppose it could be because there have been more and more of them lately. And Jedeth-if not for your family's reputation for weaponry, I would ask you why you were attending the weapons class here at all! As though it weren't silly enough already, now the Weaponsmaster's Second is a Karsite Trainee who can hardly put two words together in the right order!" There was a chorus of laughter-though the laughter was courteous and controlled, unlike the buffoons from the Heraldic Circle. Jedeth gave a shrug.

"I learn better technique from my tutor, but I suppose there is a dearth of live targets at home," he sighed, rolling his eyes. _Though that was only half true._ Weaponsmaster Dethor was old, but his advice was better than any of his tutors'-Jedeth could tell at least that much, and so he did respect Dethor on a certain level. Well, it was hardly the atmosphere to make such a sidenote, so he just held his peace as he waited for the smattering of laughter to die down before continuing. "On a related note, why _is _it that we're eating in the Collegia? Please don't tell me it's because of the _fantastic _fare." A small laugh.

"Oh, please," Rahlen scoffed, his eyes falling on someone behind Jedeth. "Even as a joke, I wouldn't say that! The truth is, I heard through the grapevine that there is a new Trainee. Since there was no word of a new Chosen among the higher social classes, it must be another _lowborn._" A few shared smiles around the table. "Since I can hardly pick out one farmer's boy from another, I figured I could spot him by looking for a lost Gray." Jedeth followed his gaze to land on a lonesome Gray-a dark skinned thing with unfashionably short hair.

"I see your reasoning, but why bother singling out the new Trainee?" _If you don't even know what he looks like, obviously he hasn't done anything wrong. _Jedeth had a strong sense of propriety and harbored disdain for anyone who didn't know their place, but complete innocents had no reason to be bothered-even lowborn Trainees. Wary, Jedeth watched as his friends shared some dark grins, while Rahlen looked at him with mild surprise.

"Because they're easier to tease, of course," he said, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know winter's coming soon-to think we were so worried of becoming idle and having nothing to do." He laughed, and was followed by the familiar chorus of laughter, but this time Jedeth did not join in. Rather, Jedeth looked at the faces at his table and, not for the first time, became unsettled.

_:You should make some friends,: _Alvira commented, yet again. _:As _my _Chosen, I'm sure they'll come easily!:_ Kerchen had the distinct impression that she thought he looked pitiful, sitting alone in a dining hall full of people. He did not share her opinion.

_:I shouldn't talk to people,: _he replied, looking around warily out of habit. _:King's Own Talamir wants me not to tell people that I am from Karse. I'm sure if I tried to make friends, the question will surface soon enough.:_

_:That's why he told you to say from the Border, or Valdemar!: _Alvira exclaimed with exasperation, but even she knew this was beating a dead mule. Kerchen would say he was from the Border, but to lie outright and say he was born in Valdemar-it was wrong, and that was that.

_Only one table is noticing me-a group of Blues. _Kerchen had picked up something about Blues-and, especially, the _highborn. _As far as Kerchen could tell, highborn did not exactly mean rich, but the two were hard to tell apart. They were often privileged and opulent, not unlike many of those sinners that Father Goroch had ordered Kerchen to kill-

_:Chosen, I'm worried about your thinking,: _interrupted Alvira nervously.

_:Alvira, I'm not going to kill them,: _he replied, surprised that her thoughts felt as though they were tending in that direction. The link between them seemed to flutter with embarrassment, but not at all apologetic-though that was just like her. _:Those who have not yet wronged are innocent.:_

_:Well, Chosen, even if they do wrong, you realize that you don't have the authority to mete "justice" on them, right?:_

_:Why would I need authority to punish someone for their sins?: _That hardly made sense-if someone deserved punishment, as long as the appropriate punishment was dealt, what does it matter who did it? It seemed inefficient to have to wait for "someone with authority."

_:What do you think court hearings are for?: _Alvira whined, an uncharacteristically frantic tone to her Mindvoice.

_:For judging if someone is deserving of punishment,: _Kerchen answered, bewildered by the strength of her reaction. _:Of course, measuring and carrying out the punishment too during the hearing is only logical.: _He had the distinct impression that he hadn't quite answered correctly, and that something about _him, _not just his notions of court hearings, bothered her. _Where was I wrong? I can't tell-is she blocking me? _He suddenly remembered how heatedly Alvira had averred that they were meant to be Companion and Chosen, but he still couldn't quite piece together the reasons for Alvira's reactions.

_He's worried, _Hannan thought, stealing glances at his new ward from halfway across the dining hall. _Or maybe his stomach's upset? Is the food too foreign? I wonder what he normally eats._

_:You've taken a liking to him, haven't you?: _Erron remarked.

_:Well, he's my responsibility-I have to make sure he settles comfortably.:_

_:I'm surprised you don't get more Trainees under your wing-oh, or maybe they're worried that you'd baby them too much.: _Hannan felt Erron chuckle in the back of his mind. _:Well, if I recall correctly, that's one Trainee that can hold his own. He doesn't look like the type to be bullied, though I wouldn't put much past some highborns.: _Hannan agreed, but he had no power over that-only Trainees with bluer blood could do anything about the highborns. As a farmer's son, the most he could do was sic Selenay or Elyssa on them-though even Elyssa couldn't outrank all of them.

_:It seems like Eldren has the right idea,: _Hannan conceded, looking to the eternally calm merchant's son. _:Find some dirt on them to keep them quiet.:_

_:Or make some dirt,: _Erron added wryly. _:There's always someone in the family he can woo-woman or man.: _Yes, Eldren was liberal, and he'd refuse to be called anything less. To his credit, he did say he wouldn't chase Alys... _:Chosen, you're the only one that would.:_

_:Not true, she's very charming,: _Hannan replied quickly, turning his attention back to the conversation at the table.

"Look! I've mapped out Alberich's movements for the past moons," Alys declared proudly, splaying out a giant chart. "He doesn't seem to leave Dethor or Elcarth very often-he eats with Dethor. It must be to keep Dethor company! He's so thoughtful," Alys remarked brightly, her eyes shining into the distance.

_:If by charming you mean deluded, why yes, yes she is,: _Erron sighed. _:How many years will her Whites take at this rate? Even if she makes progress in her weapons class, any committee worth their uniforms would turn her down on basis of her unreasonable personality.:_

_:It's not like all Heralds are reasonable.:_

_:They're at least practical enough to manage circuit,: _Erron reminded, _:If she wanted to judge anything, she'd have to cast Truth Spell on everyone.: _Even Hannan had to concede that, unless Alys put some reins on her obsessive and daydreaming habits, her Whites would be far in the future. _Maybe far enough that I could be her mentor on circuit..._ Hannan blushed a little at what could result from _that_, while Erron snorted in the back of his mind.

"Besides when I have class, the only movements I don't have is at night-since he never leaves some Herald's side during the day, I should try my chances there." Hannan was amazed that Alys had said this outrageous thing without blinking.

"What Healer's brew have you been taking?" Apparently so was Elyssa. "I know I'm returning home, but don't you dare use it as an excuse to romp about the town like a madman! All sorts of drunkards are wandering the streets during Midwinter Festival, so don't follow Karsite Trainees and _don't work_." Alys pouted, and it was clear she wasn't going to listen. Both girls were rather stubborn and had a similar argument last year, though this time Elyssa would be gone. After Hannan had tipped her off about the impending war, nothing was going to stop her from bringing the news back home.

_:It was a secret for a reason,: _Erron chided him curtly, _:Though I suppose Elyssa wasn't going to be enjoying her Midwinter anyway, given Alys's antics.:_

"The man's twice your age, Alys," noted Eldren, mopping up his plate with a piece of bread, "I won't say that he buys one, but he may already have a lover."

"Oh he doesn't," she replied briskly, and even Eldren raised an eyebrow at the quick response. _She must have been tailing Alberich every chance she had.._

_:Wow that's a surprise.:_

_This is depressing, _Hannan sighed, though Alys took no notice as she sat mesmerized by her Alberich chart. Although it was one of her charm points, Alys's total devotion to one activity at a time left her blind and deaf to anything else. He looked back to Kerchen, a boy untroubled by unrequited love, and wondered what he might be thinking.


	4. Said boy's days

Hey all!

Was anyone else completely _disturbed_ when the Mercedes Lackey section disappeared? I can't think of anything quite as _unsettling_ in my whole career, but still, Valdemar getting its own section was _moving_.

Man, those puns were a lot funnier in my head.

* * *

Kerchen left the classroom in a strange, enlightened daze.

"So this is..."I"..."have"..." he murmured, staring at the book with newfound fascination. He had attended classes at the Academy under Goroch's sponsorship, but all they ever learned was movements, tactics and occasionally the Writ. Here, he was learning all manners of things-history, arithmetic (he never realized counting had such a fancy name), mercantile studies, and reading and writing.

_:But you already know how to read Karsite books, so why are you so excited by Valdemaran books?: _Alvira had made it known that she wasn't much of a sitting type and often rode Kerchen to exhaustion. It rather amazed him that she had a gift of Healing with her robust personality.

_:Well, the verbs aren't at the end for one...the structure is very different. And I've only read the Writ.: _He tried to think of a more logical answer, but none came to mind.

_:Anyway, today's your first Gift class, so try not to be late.: _That was true but unfortunate, as he was looking forward to decoding that text.

_:Why do I need to attend a Gift class?: _Kerchen frowned, looking up from his book at nothing in particular. _:You said my Mindspeech is fine, my Distance Ey-I mean, Farsight was already trained, and Father Goroch taught me shielding for any kind of m-m-:_

_:Mindspeech, mental Gifts, yes, but there's nowhere better at training the Gift itself than here in Valdemar.: _No, that wasn't what he was going to say- _:And you might make some friends, and then we can all go riding together!:_

_:Is that your real reason?:_

_:Don't worry Chosen, if it comes to a race I'll beat them down to the ground. They won't even get past my dust cloud before I finish!: _Kerchen was about to make some comment about her haughty attitude but refrained, thinking that was he relieved enough that she had gone back to her old self.

* * *

"As you might notice, I'm still in my Grays," the instructor said cheerfully, "but it so happens that the regular instructors for Farsight are too busy to give you the individual attention you need. To get you up to speed, I'll be taking over your training for the time being."

"Ok," Kerchen replied simply. Whether his teacher was wearing Whites or Grays didn't make much of a difference to him. The man, probably only a year older than Kerchen, was rather handsome, with straight dark hair falling carelessly on his shoulders. He was entirely at ease, and looked as though he always was.

_:This is Eldren,: _Alvira explained. _:He's about a year or two from his Whites. Due to a rush of new Trainees coupled with the need to train them by the impending war, the Collegium has been concocting ways to teach the new Trainees more efficiently. Be careful though-the boy also has a penchant for seducing anything that moves.: _Okay... _:But just checking, you aren't shay'ch, are you? I mean, I hear he's also pretty good so I don't want to rob you of a good thing-:_

_:What's shay-nevermind,: _Kerchen amended hastily, as an influx of images from the mindlink told him what he needed to know. _:I'm not interested in, er, _trysting_-I've seen quite enough on the streets of Exile's Gate.:_

_:To each his own, but mind you, what you saw there was probably not standard practice.: _If Eldren noticed Kerchen's flush, he didn't show it.

"I'll take you through the basics, and if you have any questions, let me know," the instructor flashed a winsome smile, and Kerchen briefly wondered if he should heed Alvira's warning.

It proved to be unnecessary, however, as Eldren drilled him properly and thoroughly. Although he had already learned something akin to this "ground and centering" from Father Goroch, for some reason his control felt more solid than ever through Eldren's exercises. Well, the purpose of Kerchen's original instruction was to shield himself from mages, so perhaps the focus was different and more attuned to his Farsight. Eldren only just explained the purpose of a focus stone when the bell rang, its clear tone resounding in the air. Eldren turned his dark eyes to the bell and gave a heavy sigh.

"Well, I was rather enjoying our lesson, but it seems that all good things have to end," he said jovially. "Keep that stone for now-you can give it back to me once you're a Farsight master." _I'm already good with my Distance Eye-didn't King's Own Talamir tell anyone about that? There are things I'm not good at that I'd rather concentrate on, like reading..._

"Of course," was what he said. "But it sounds like most stones would work-give me yours you need not." Eldren only smiled.

"Oh no, Kerchen, that won't do. I want you to come find me, you see." And with that, he left, his radiating aura of confidence never faltering.

_:Are you sure you're not shay'ch? You can try it out you know,: _Alvira piped up. Kerchen only pursed his lips.

_:You keep asking me Alvira,: _he pointed out. _:It sounds like you're the one who wants to try something.: _There was no reply.

* * *

"Pay attention! Too sloppy you are," Alberich scolded, as Alys picked herself off the ground.

"I-I understand," she said, still wincing.

_"But improved, you have," he said in his wonderful accent, approval underlying his rough manner. "I see that working hard you are."_

_"Well, I should always try my best," she replied shyly under his piercing gaze._

_"I know practice you do, in the salle at night. It is...admirable." He looked away, groping for words but ending his search still tongue-tied. There was a pregnant pause, filled with unspoken thoughts._

_"I try a lot, but...it seems like I'm still helpless with swords," she laughed with embarrassment. He looked to her again and gave a small smile, as though this were a private joke shared between them._

_"Agree with that, I must," he said with consternation-_

"-A mess, your footwork is. More weight on leading foot needed is-"

_and let his mouth quirk up at her dismay. "But your archery excellent is." Alys then flushed with joy._

_"Oh-well, it's only because you're teaching me-I couldn't have done it without you." Now it was his turn to be embarrassed, but he covered his strong, weathered face with a hand to hide it._

_"No, your own skill, truly it was. Otherwise, your swordswork better would be." He looked at her askance. "But perhaps you only more instruction need.." Alys looked up at him, blinking, but Alberich was already shaking off the unsaid words, his posture forcefully pulling back into his rough persona._

"You dismissed are."

"Yes, Weapons Second Alberich!" she answered cheerfully, and bounded off to join the rest of the students.

Alberich felt a strange chill down his spine as he watched the student prance off gayly, as though she hadn't just proved to be the worst Trainee yet.

_Sunlord help me, if there is ever a clumsier student than that one. _She was a natural archer, but it was hardly enough to compensate for her lack of skills with other weapons. It would be suicide to send her off against the Tedrels as she was now-

_:Until the Weaponsmaster deems her capable, she will never get her Whites,: _Kantor responded to the unstated question, much to Alberich's relief. _:Heralds die quickly enough as it is.:_

_:I can believe that,: _Alberich replied, watching as Dethor paired Alys with the newest Trainee. _There_ was one child who would pass this class very quickly-his knifework was excellent, as Alberich had the _honor_ to experience firsthand, and probably only needed a few moons' training to become top tier. His skills with weapons that weren't of the concealable sort were rudimentary, but he had already acquired a strong grasp of the basics from his training at the Academy. It had only been a few weeks, but his improvement was significant-he would certainly acquire proficiency by the end of the next winter.

_No, his weaponswork won't be the thing holding him down... _Whites were determined by a committee, but if the treatment the Trainees were giving him was any indication of the general opinion of the Heraldic Circle, there wouldn't be any committee to pass Kerchen unless something drastic happened. In the beginning, only a few of the students were avoiding him-certainly those who had witnessed the incident. Soon, the rest of the Trainees followed suit, probably unaware that they were even doing so-ostensibly, since their friends were in one place, so were they. Few Trainees tried to make any kind of conversation with Kerchen, and the latter made no attempts to hold one, so there was no lessening of the gap between the Karsite boy and the other Trainees.

However, while the subconscious shunning that the Trainees were doing was a bit worrisome, it was the interactions with the Blues that seemed to bode trouble. Alberich knew that many of the Blues were prone to bullying any lowborns-while Dethor and Alberich did their best to stop any sign of it in the salle, sometimes the classes were simply too big to oversee everything. When the students could choose their partners, Kerchen was usually one of the last to get picked-and always, he ended up with Trainee Hannan, Trainee Eldren, or one of the Blues. Watching their bouts, Alberich strongly suspected the highborns were bullying him, trying to deal him low blows during their exchanges-however, Kerchen's evasion skills were too developed for him to even notice that this was happening. True, he didn't show signs of being verbally taunted, but it could be that he did not even understand them.

_:Are you worried, Chosen?:_

_:How could I not be? That boy knows nothing of high society-he doesn't even know the true face of the high Sunpriests. The Trainees aren't looking after him; if the Blues finally go too far, there's no telling what he'll do.: _Kantor agreed.

_:The boy grew up as a shepherd's son, and it seems his only run-ins with high society is by assassinating the ones who were nonbelievers-not the most ideal setting, I imagine. I could see a situation arising, but Alvira is rather touchy about her Chosen. She still refuses to tell us anything about Trainee Kerchen, and, well-it's rather difficult for us to lend help to a Trainee without the consent of his Companion.: _A pause, as Kantor recalled something unpleasant-something he often did on this subject. _:And many Companions are still unhappy with Alvira anyway-that she Chose without a real Calling is a serious matter. Imagine if Yfandes had Chosen some random waif instead of Vanyel-well, I suppose that would have been good for Karse, hm?: _Alberich had been trained since an early age to shudder at the name of Vanyel the Demon-Rider, but he controlled his reaction to just a scoff.

_:Something so ancient a history is hardly worth being agitated about.: _The current Son of the Sun was hardly a paragon of virtue either.

_:You've become rather forward thinking,: _Kantor noted wryly. _:Of course, despite that this is the main point of contention, the boy's corrigibility is also in doubt-though after Talamir's interrogation, those dissenters will hardly make a fuss-until, of course, the boy does anything remotely wrong. In this light, I can sympathize with Alvira's sentiment of shielding her Chosen, but she doesn't believe me when I tell her she's biting her own foot.: _That was one trait that the pair had in common-both Companion and Chosen were apparently as stubborn as mules. _:Like most Heralds, honestly.:_

_:Truth be told, there's one more thing wrong about him-his total lack of self preservation. If we sent him out as is, he would probably sacrifice himself at a moment's notice-_moreso _than even a normal Herald.: _The boy had said so calmly that he wanted Alberich to kill him-as though he was saying he wanted to have lunch or something equally mundane. The boy thought of himself as a tool, to be thrown away immediately when not useful; whoever his mysterious Karsite benefactor was, he had trained him "well". Still feeling guilt over having almost killed the boy, Alberich wanted to mentor Kerchen himself, but that would be too suspicious to the eyes of the Collegium, so he was stuck doing nothing. Would Kerchen seek out Father Henrick and Acolyte Gerichen? He suspected the answer was no; this boy would not seek the help of anyone, so what could Alberich do to help when neither Kerchen nor his Companion would believe they needed any?

The Weapons Second continued to watch as Kerchen and Alys practiced stavework. As expected, the boy was only getting a lesson in what not to do with a stave, and the girl was only learning how to make an incredible impression of a fish out of water. Gazing at the pair, Alberich felt a strange tinge of jealousy. Just _how _did that boy learn to hide his scars so well? With that kind of technique, Alberich could greatly expand his daytime undercover work, perhaps even pass as a woman where needed-

_:You have no hope, Chosen,: _Kantor quipped, _:No woman is going to have your physique-or your incurable scowl.: _Alberich made no comment. _:Though you could get some tips from him-that's the work of a professional.: _Well no matter what, it was going to have to wait.


	5. A reunion

Hey all!

Wow, it's been awhile...haha.

How would one manage to contact a beta reader without PMs enabled? I dunno, maybe they're just teasing me.

* * *

_There must be something about this Collegium, _Kerchen mused, watching passerbys from his cold bench in the gardens, _that makes people act like this all the time. Even in the current cold, they're still talking about...that. _Kerchen had become acutely aware of any kind of-trysting talk. Although the most obvious "talk" were the noises around his room, he began to notice more subtle hints-a slight nudge or whispered question that just _somehow_ managed to lead to a sleepless night. These concepts weren't one of Father Goroch's concerns, so he didn't have a real opinion on if this was normal or not. Still, he had the distinct impression that even in Valdemar, Heralds and Trainees were considered rather active. The contrast between here and Father Goroch's temple was too great, and he didn't know how to react.

_All the Trainees seem to be doing it. Should I be too? Is it required? _The idea was baffling, as he couldn't see anything to be gained from the experience. Alvira gave very lukewarm answers, which made him wonder why she wouldn't give a real one. _Well, she seems to want it... _Alvira was hardly celibate, as Kerchen had soon discovered. He tried to shield himself as best he could and go to bed early, but she would go at it at all hours-which sometimes made for _awkward _lessons.

And as far as the whole shay'ch thing was concerned, he remembered the Writ having a passage that struck it as sinful-and yet, in another copy in the annals of Father Goroch's temple, there was a much abbreviated passage that only considered nonconsensual unions as sinful. He wasn't sure what to make of that-but since he wasn't interested in _any_ kind of union, it was probably not worth his trouble to worry about. _But if I'm expected to as a Herald-Trainee-no, something's strange about that-_

As Kerchen struggled with this foreign concept, something suddenly slapped his back, breaking his concentration.

"Yer still twiddlin' yer thumbs, ya bastid!" Startled, Kerchen jumped up and palmed the intruder's face before he registered the voice.

_"Dieder!" _he exclaimed, his mouth hanging open as the sandy-haired boy cradled his nose in pain. Besides the now slightly red nose, the week thief was exactly as Kerchen remembered, though better clothed. _What is he doing here?_

"Ouch-hey you! Why're ya so violent? Is this 'ow ya greet all yer friends?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized contritely, recovering from the shock of seeing Dieder himself. "Though you are my only friend." Dieder made a strange face between a scowl and bewildered pity.

"'Course yud start wit' somethin' so depressing," he sighed. "Y'ain't gonna say somethin' like, "'ey Dieder! Long time no see!" or "I'm a Herald Trainee! Surprise!" huh?" Dieder gave him an accusatory glare, but Kerchen simply shrugged in response.

"No, why would I?"

"Um. Fer all that ya think a lot, y'sure do ask some stupid questions."

"Hey!" But he couldn't stay mad at the boy's impish grin, and Kerchen already felt his mood lifting. The cold no longer seemed biting, but he had Dieder follow him inside anyway. As part of his habit of collecting information, Kerchen haunted that spot in the gardens because he could overhear many visitors and passersby, but he didn't care to be placed under the same scrutiny.

_:You're a stalker, that's what you are,: _Alvira sniffed. _:So this is the infamous Dieder you keep telling me about?:_

_:Stalkers only tail one person-and I wish you wouldn't put a bad spin on all my habits.: _The only rituals of his she hadn't found fault with were his SunDescending and SunRising prayers to Vkandis Sunlord, and that might only be because she knew it was a line she shouldn't cross. _:And yes, this is he-though he looks considerably better than last I saw him.:_

"You look better," Kerchen echoed out loud. "What pastries have you been snatching lately from Grandma Magdee?"

"Well apples've been-oi! Watcha tryin' t'say?" Kerchen only gave a knowing leer. "Anyway, I ain't been freeloadin' off 'er much-me an' m'ma's been sharin' the cookin', though we always go t'Magdee's-she ain't up fer too much walkin', yea?"

"Oh, so your mother is again well!" Dieder flashed a toothy grin, and Kerchen found his delight infectious.

"Yea, we some'ow scraped up enough t'take 'er t'some proper Healers-though they ended up not takin' most the payment! Didn't seem right, that we tried so hard t'pay an' in the end didn't matter anyhow-but suppose we're that much fatter, eh? Anyhow, durin' the process, m'ma got hired by the Palace as a seamstress-so 'ere I am!" Well, that explained a lot-Kerchen had been worried that Dieder had resumed his old profession to outfit himself. _Dieder's a good person-I shouldn't have been so suspicious._

"That is good to hear, but though you are around the Palace, you talk still weird," Kerchen noted contemplatively, and was rewarded with a scowl.

"Yea well, y'still talk funny yerself! Though-ya've gotten a lot better. Takin' speech classes?"

"Actually, I learned mostly from Alvira, my Companion."

_:And you're very welcome.:_

"O yea, 'course, yer _Companion_." Dieder glared at him. "'ey, I just remembered somethin' funny-ya said if ya didn't come back in a moon ye'd be _dead_. It's been more'n that, but yer lookin' pretty fine fer a _dead_ man."

"I said _probably_," he pointed out, but Dieder's ensuing disapproval was understandable.

"Not only're ya lookin' pretty sprightly, but I find ya in _Trainee Greys? _Last time I saw ye, ya couldn't 'ear the word Herald without reachin' fer a knife!" Kerchen rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's rather a long story," he said awkwardly, ushering his friend to the dining hall to placate him. Dieder tried to maintain the same level of indignance, but Kerchen knew his weaknesses well. _Is it alright if I let a nonstudent take from the pantry? Well, I suppose I'll just eat less later._

"Uh, I've got time," Dieder grinned, already helping himself to the swaths of food Kerchen placed in front of him. "Y'might as well start from the beginning." Kerchen was only too happy to do so.

_So he does have a friend_, Hannan thought, with relief. It had been weeks since he had been assigned to the Karsite boy, and not once did Hannan see him with anyone. _I probably should still invite him to sit with us though-but what if Alys decides to like him next? Urgh, I shouldn't be so petty-_

"Your new habit of studying in the dining hall confounds me," Elyssa remarked, interrupting Hannan's thoughts. She set her sack down across from him as he laughed awkwardly in response. _It's because I can usually spot Kerchen in the courtyard from here, but I doubt I can tell her that._

"Yes, well, it's fairly quiet around this time," he observed instead. _Also you know that Karsite Trainee who's always alone and you think is still a spy? Well little did you know I'm his mentor, and yes I've been nice to him and no I haven't been torturing him for information on Karse. I also think you are wrong. _No, that would all go unsaid. Elyssa's pessimism was as severe as Alys's optimism, minus the charm and plus a considerable amount of ire.

Thankfully, Elyssa was not a Thoughtsenser, so she sat down with an amiable smile on her face, unaware of Hannan's less than flattering observations.

"I just visited the town," she said casually, tossing a set of rather uncasual looking gauntlets onto the table.

"Visited or fought?" She gave a small laugh, an elegant giggle that belied the iron spikes in her gloves.

"These were just a precaution. Actually, I stumbled across something more important than beating up knaves on the street." _Oh really? _"Word is the highborns have been taking part in some-shall we say, unscrupulous games in the worse half of Haven."

"That's odd-they normally wouldn't touch a lowborn with a ten foot pole." Elyssa scoffed.

"Try ten fathoms! No, these highborns wouldn't deign to get along with any peasant-they're _using _them for the sole purpose of these games, no doubt. I couldn't tell you the specifics, but I don't think it's any different from their usual hobby of bullying, albeit with higher stakes." She crossed her arms and then her legs, her body a work of controlled anger. "You know what kind of scum lurks about in Haven's darker corners. Whatever these highborns are up to, it's nothing good-_no _good comes from a bored noble," she hissed, as though her mother wasn't a noble either.

"Elyssa, if you want me to stop them-I mean, I suppose I could keep an eye on the younger Trainees like Theela, but-" Elyssa waved the idea off.

"No, that's impossible, and we both know it." She leaned in, her dark blue eyes watching him seriously. "Their business is happening right around Alys's tavern. As you know, I'll be returning home soon-I need you to look after her."

"I understand." He was always watching Alys anyway; in this respect, Kerchen had done him good-something to think about besides Alys's depressing obsession with Alberich. Elyssa nodded with approval.

"I don't expect you to stop her from working either-though if you manage to gather the guts to lock her up in her own room, you will forever have my gratitude." Hannan laughed weakly, as she seemed strangely serious about that joke.

"I suspect nothing could lock up that free spirit of hers," he remarked fondly. "But I'll see what I can do-no, I don't think I'll be needing to borrow your gauntlets. Would they even fit me?" She reluctantly put them back in her sack.

Dieder's face twisted rather unpleasantly. "I can't believe yer a _Karsite assassin._"

"_Was_, for the tenth time now," Kerchen corrected. "What is important is that now I am one of Valdemar's Trainees."

"No wunder yer always wavin' a knife around," he muttered. "I even helped ya in! Fer all yer spoutin' "this is wrong, that's wrong"-"

"I would never harm someone who did not deserve it. That is why I am where I am." Dieder opened his mouth to object but couldn't quite decide on what to object to.

"Yer a real piece o' work, y'know that?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." Dieder scrutinized him a bit and then suddenly laughed.

"Aw hell, what's it matter? As long as y'ain't gonna knife me, suppose I'll take yer word fer it." He tousled Kerchen's hair vigorously, a habit as strange as ever.

"Hey-stop that!" Dieder only stopped to stuff his face further with some cheese while Kerchen smoothed out his hair in the meantime. It was getting long and needed to be cut again.

"When I saw ya sittin' on that bench, I almos' didn't recognize ya-saw yer bag and knew then, but _what_ happened t'yer face?"

"Oh this?" Kerchen touched his face subconsciously, feeling the unusual smoothness of his complexion. "I put makeup on to hide my scars. I was told to hide my origins, so I thought my scars too suspicious looked." Dieder raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Yer _pretty good_ wit' makeup." Kerchen wasn't sure why his tone sounded so suspicious.

"Yes-when I was training as an agent, a mentor of mine taught me how to use it." Even though she seemed always busy, Adelinne had always found the time to teach him the skills he needed-it was a debt he could hardly repay, but even if he could, he hadn't seen her for years now. He wondered if she might have been killed in a mission-but Adelinne was the most talented person he knew, so surely not...

"Oh yeah, 'course, forgot about that. 'ey, ya know what, no more o' this, this's boring!" Dieder suddenly sat up, startling Kerchen. He looked around wildly for something amiss, just as Dieder grabbed his shoulders and shook him like a child's toy.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing!"

"What's important is that yer here, yah? Shudn't we celebrate? Tonight, what say you to a bit o' tavern hoppin' agin?" As Kerchen refrained from throwing Dieder, he mulled the idea over in his head. Dieder's "tavern hopping" often ended in a wild escape from a brawl, and it didn't help that he had a penchant for the seediest of places. Though they had mutually decided to stop going to the worst taverns at some point, something told Kerchen that Dieder had long forgotten about this vow.

Then again, he _was _ahead in his classes; save for his rides with Alvira, he had been studying and not much else. Since everyone else was taking considerable time for their own escapades, why shouldn't he take time with Dieder now and visit Grandma Magdee later?

He felt Alvira stir in the back of his mind with excitement. _:Honestly Chosen, you must think entertainment is a sin. You're too serious-from now on, I command you to take time off every day!:_

_:Every day seems a bit much-:_

_:Every day!: _Well, there wasn't much negotiating with her, so he caved in. Admittedly, this time her stubbornness felt like a reward.

"That sounds good," he said, and found a smile on his face.


	6. Conflicts at the market

hey all!

So that I don't accidentally plagiarize, I never read fanfiction while writing some myself. But sometimes it's hard.

* * *

Kerchen frowned.

"Is this appropriate for a Midwinter gift? Is it too little? For classes to be cancelled, Midwinter seems very important," he noted, holding up a small door ornament of a berry bush. Dieder shrugged.

"It's the thought that counts, yea? Looks good t'me." Kerchen turned it over some more, and then put it back on the wooden hook, much to Dieder's dismay.

"Agin? Yer too picky," he complained, lagging as Kerchen led the way down the street. The colorful canopies of the stands were now coated with a layer of snow, but the cold did little to dampen the liveliness of the market. It had scared him half to death when he'd first arrived, but Kerchen now found the din calming-the Collegium was too secluded. Before being Chosen by Alvira, he had always been on the move, roaming from one place to other for Father Goroch. While Companion's Field was vast, given Alvira's obsession with running he must have looped every inch of that place twenty times over by now. Reminded of Alvira's tendencies, Kerchen couldn't help but sigh. Along with the workouts in the weapons class, he was surprised that he still managed to get up every morning.

"This is my first time buying a gift, so I want to do it right. What about that tea stand she used to send us to?"

"I'd bet money she already tried every tea they have." Dieder mulled this thought over again, as though he had just said something wrong. "But I think she'd like it if ya got 'er a tea she already likes. Ya remember any?" Kerchen thought this over.

"Well, that last day before I left, there was this tea that tasted like..." _Tasted like what? _Nothing he knew by name. Dieder had tried it too, but he shrugged when Kerchen looked to him inquisitively."Herbs? Something sweet...something spicy-I'm sure if we smell their teas, we will find it eventually."

"Oh boy. I dun like the sound o' that," Dieder groaned, but followed anyway. As they made their way through the streets, a commotion at one of the stands caught Kerchen's attention. A handful of people had stopped to stare, though they were all trying to pretend otherwise.

"You want _silver _for this? You must be out of your mind, peasant!" A boy, dressed in heavy fur-lined brocades, sneered at a peddler, who was also well-dressed but not quite so extravagantly. The boy tossed a trinket onto the ground, which the merchant promptly scrambled for, looking at him angrily after getting up.

"With all due respect m'lord, this brooch is a fine artisanal work-though the materials are bronze and glass, the craftwork alone is worth a silver royal!"

"What nonsense this man spews! I've seen dozens of works like this before-it hardly merits two coppers," a girl added loftily from behind her fan. Dieder followed Kerchen's line of sight and gave a grunt.

"Hah, nobles. They've got no eye for goods at all. I saw this one hoot the other day, spent three times that much fer the same thin'-it's pretty funny, watcha think?"

"I know those nobles. They are Blue Unaffiliates at the Collegia," Kerchen remarked, watching the argument unfold. _Rahlen Poitregas, Shendelle Fairtheld, Larav Orthallen, Jedeth Levalen-all highborn, though only Fairtheld and Orthallen are senior aristocratic households. _They often crossed the Palace gardens and seemed to speak of nothing but trivial matters.

"M'lord, this is truly the final, _final _price I can offer at any profit to myself," the merchant said with exasperation, a desperate edge coloring his tone. "If it still displeases you, then you need not buy it." Rahlen scoffed.

"A poor merchant and a liar as well! You shouldn't even be peddling," he laughed, and, with a single, well accessorized hand, tipped over the table of wares at the stand, showering the red-faced merchant with all his ornaments. Kerchen frowned. _This behavior is unacceptable._

"Oi, wat an ass!" Dieder cringed. "It's 'cause they're highborn. Ain't anythin' you kin do, 'less ya want trouble knockin' on yer-uh, Ker'?" He looked around quizzically for his companion, his face falling when he ended up finding him in the heart of the ruckus.

"Bullying is wrong." Kerchen stepped in front of Rahlen, whose cohorts then turned to stare at him with shock and disgust. He ignored the looks, along with Dieder's repetitious groans of "Kernos' tits!" behind him. "Clean up your own mess, Rahlen Poitregas." A strange silence settled around them as Rahlen regarded him with an incredulous expression.

"Who do you think you are?" Rahlen began, slowly. "Don't think you can talk to me like that just because you're wearing a Trainee's outfit. No matter what you wear, you're still just a Border peasant."

"No one is above fixing their own mistakes," Kerchen replied, looking him in the eye, a gesture that clearly caught him unawares. "That man already said you did not need to buy it-if the price were truly poor, you need only find a better merchant. What you did was entirely unnecessary, like a child throwing a tantrum. You are too old for that behavior to be acceptable." There were a few gasps in the crowd that had gathered, and Rahlen, sensing their eyes on him, let only a flash of anger touch his face. Instead, he let a great sigh and spread his arms.

"What gall you Greys have!" he exclaimed, waving a hand in exasperation. "As though your whole Circle were not living off _our _money! You Trainees are like babes, like _dogs_, eating out of us taxpayers' palms. We feed you so that you might defend us from Karse, not so that you can be a thorn in our sides." Kerchen frowned at the ill reference to his mother country but let it slide for the moment.

"Wrong things are wrong, whether they happen with Karse or within Valdemar. You must think because money you have, you are above the law."

"The _law?_ Listen to yourself, making a mountain of a hill-"

"You will not leave until you pick it up."

"Oh, certainly,_ make_ me," he laughed, shoving Kerchen's shoulder as he walked past. Alvira stirred in the back of his mind, her rising anxiety matching his rising anger.

_:Chosen, don't-: _But he was hardly going to listen to any objections. Who did this boy think he was? Father Goroch would never have tolerated this impertinence, and neither would he. The former assassin grabbed a hold of Rahlen's shoulder and shoved him back, using such force that the boy ended up on the ground, bewildered by the turn of events.

"You will stay until-"

"Hahaha! Just kiddin'!" To Kerchen's surprise and dismay, Dieder broke into the fray and flung himself between him and Rahlen, pushing Kerchen back as far as he could. "Sorry m'lord, my friend's just had a bad day-I'll take care o' this, no worries! Really, really sorry, truly sorry, we're really sorry about this mess! What a scene, how embarrassin' right?" Kerchen watched on in a kind of horror as his friend prostrated himself to the highborn brat. _Has he no sense of shame?_

"Dieder, get out of-" But Dieder's foot ramming into his toe cut his protest short, giving Rahlen enough time to pick himself off the ground and recloak himself in his prideful aura.

"At least someone around here knows the proper way of things," noted Jedeth with a nod, and he grabbed Rahlen's arm. "Come, we have other events to attend to." Rahlen was smoldering, but consented to Jedeth's suggestion. Kerchen glared at him with similar resentment, but as Dieder and the merchant had hastily finished gathered up most of the mess, Kerchen had already lost his opportunity to punish him. As Rahlen's coterie disappeared into the thicket of the market, Kerchen directed his anger at Dieder.

"What do you think you are doing! That Rahlen-"

"No, whaddya think _yer _doing!" Dieder yelled, shoving a finger at him. "If those nobles point their noses at you yer gunna be in real trouble _then!_"

"What, so I should tolerate such things because the nobles I _fear_? There is no justice, no honor in that-"

"Ah to all hells with that, and Lady Bright fart on yer _honor_-"

"-Now what does that even-"

"Y'know what'll happen to you to ya-y'know what, forget that-ya think it'd do this hawker's business any good if ya made 'im that guy 'oo 'ad one o' those nobles stripped down in front o' 'im?"

"Excuse me lad, I'm not a _hawker_-"

"'e's gonna git marked, that's what! Ya leave 'em alone, they might buy somethin' later, but make 'n enemy outta them, they're gonna remember you and they're not comin' back, and neither are their friends! Or they'll come back but not to _buy _anythin', fer sure! Not all of us are sum kinda hotshot knifin' vagrant that kin do whatever 'e wants like you, and think about that before ya land us in real hot water!" Despite that Kerchen was still sure he was _right_, Dieder's core argument was strong. It was not always a good thing to bring attention to yourself-he had had to exercise his patience countless times before, waiting for the right time to strike, even enduring Werda so that he could learn Valdemaran. Perhaps this was simply not the time nor place-though in this case, it no longer seemed possible to punish Rahlen properly. Well besides, a merchant lives off business-if he values his business more than his pride, Kerchen was not doing him a favor by raising a scene at his stand. _I would rather lose everything I own before I let someone treat me so unfairly, but perhaps these Valdemarans have different priorities._

_:Life isn't _fair_, Chosen,: _Alvira remarked haughtily. _:Often what you think of as just gets in the way of what's right.:_

_:What you're saying sounds pithy, but what is just is what is right. It's simply that since the victim himself did not want to be helped, I have no right to pursue the matter by myself.: _Yes, it simply did not make sense that someone who has done wrong should receive punishment lighter than his crime. He had once made a similar mistake-the first time Father Goroch had given him a mission to kill someone. As Father Goroch had said, the reason why justice seems so harsh is because their punishment must match their crime. If they kill, then justice is killing them. Why should what was "right" be any different?

_:That's too naïve,: _she scoffed, though her tone carried a tinge of uncertainty. He waited for her to continue, but her silence indicated the end of the conversation. _Does that mean she might agree with me? That'd be nice, but I have a feeling that's not the case. This isn't the first time she's sounded like that-but am I simply imagining her nervousness?_ As Kerchen tried to puzzle out her reaction, the merchant finished sorting his trinkets on the table and graciously extended a hand to Kerchen.

"Thank you, m'lad. Though you were causing a scene, I know you meant well." Kerchen took the hand, a bit quizzically as it was not a custom he often practiced.

"If I have inconvenienced you, I am sorry."

"Hah!" The merchant put his hands in his sleeves, ostensibly regaining his usual posture for business. "Well, if it weren't for you Trainees, I'd wonder what today's youth has come to. As a token of my appreciation, would you like something, m'lad? Name it and it's yours, free of charge." Dieder leaned over Kerchen's shoulder, suddenly interested in the conversation. He nudged Kerchen's arm, pointing to a polished copper buckle.

"That one there, Ker'-that one's mighty shiny!" Kerchen regarded him with a bemused look. _What use would I have for a buckle, Dieder?_

_:Right, don't listen to him,: _Alvira interjected, _:The silver chain next to it is way better.: _He didn't know how he felt about their sudden change of attitude at the notion of free things.

"Thank you, but as I did not help you, I have no right to accept a gift," Kerchen replied instead, to the disappointment of his companions. As he walked on in search of a gift, he took no note of his mentor only a few paces away.

"Oh Lord and Lady," Hannan gasped, hands to his head lest it roll off at any second, "What's happened? What do I do?"

_:No need to dramatize, Chosen. It looks like the matter's resolved itself,: _Erron flicked his ear and looked suspiciously like he would be yawning if he could. Hannan watched the crowd disperse, with vague mutterings of "Youths these days" and "He deserved it" speckled throughout.

"Everything seems to be the end of the world to you, doesn't it?" Eldren laughed, offering Hannan his paper cone of roasted nuts. "Did you see what the commotion was about?"

"Er, no? No, no, I didn't...no." _Did I add too many nos?_

_:Maybe just one or two.: _But Eldren didn't seem to notice, or more likely just decided to leave Hannan alone.

"What are you buying Alys?"

"Oh, maybe a small bauble or something-" Hannan stopped. "Why do you assume that I'm only buying a present for Alys? I've saved enough for my family, you know-"

"Well you're only agonizing about hers, right?"

"Uh." Hannan felt that he should be denying this, but wasn't sure what to say.

_:Close your mouth. You're already an open book, no need to have your jaw hanging open too.:_

_:Hey, now-er-you be quiet.: _"Well, uh, I already know the kinds of things my family likes, so.."

"Of course," Eldren affirmed with humor, and he seemed to catch something in the corner of his eye. "Hey Hannan, you know what I think would be a neat present?"

"What?" Hannan asked, following his gaze to an accessories stand whose vendor was redundantly straightening her wool scarves. "You're right, something to keep her warm in the winter-though didn't she make a scarf already?" His friend raised an eyebrow.

"If you're talking about that tube shaped pillow that she tried to wrap around her neck but abandoned because it was a choking hazard, not to mention the fact that she looked like a homeless jester, then yes, she did. In any case Hannan, don't you think it would be the perfect opportunity to go a bit further?"

"Er, then a hat-"

"Don't be coy now Hannan, I'm not playing that game at the moment," Eldren interrupted impishly. "You should tell her your feelings-think, what would be a more romantic night to confess than on the eve of the Midwinter Festival?"

"W-whoa, wait, wait a second-what are you-haha?" Hannan's nervous spewing was met with only a sigh.

"I'm not sure why you keep acting surprised like this, as though you don't already know that every Grey except Alys knows your romantic affliction." He popped another nut into his mouth, and Hannan got the impression that the chewing had therapeutic value to Eldren. "You know what's your problem? You don't have any experience with girls-probably never dated, never kissed, even never _flirted_."

"Hey, that's not so weird-"

"Don't misunderstand-it wasn't weird when you first came here from your farm. By now, however, after being surrounded by the nicest girls in Valdemar for a whole two years you should have at least had one roll in the sack." Eldren turned and looked him up and down. "Look, you still blush at the idea." He then openly laughed, much to Hannan's embarrassment.

_:He's right, you know. If you're a virgin much longer they might send you to a monastery instead.:_

_:I don't see how any of this is relevant,: _Hannan retorted heatedly.

"I can't blame you entirely," Eldren continued, "since you did like Alys very early on, so I suppose other girls didn't interest you. You're a dashing young lad, Hannan; if you were willing, at least half the Trainees would have come to your bed without a second thought." _Eldren, I can't decide whether you sound like a lecherous old man or a peddler. _Hannan wasn't happy with either though."You know what you need? Practice. See that girl over there? She looks pretty bored, probably wouldn't mind playing the game with a guy like you."

"W-what? Are you telling me to flirt with her?"

"It'll be good for you. Besides, she won't remember you by the end of the week, so no worries if you mess up." Hannan groaned. _Easy for you to say. You probably lived your whole life surrounded by women. _Not counting his mother, his closest female companion growing up was Nessie, and all she could do was moo. Apparently oblivious to Hannan's continued discomfort, Eldren shoved him right into the stand, causing the girl to turn around. She greeted the bewildered Hannan with a big, open smile.

"Heyla, sir! Is there anything you need?" Now that he had regained his footing, he was able to get a better look at her. Big, blue eyes and ringlets of brown hair falling on her shoulders-she was hardly unattractive by any means, but it only compounded his nervousness. She stared at him with her smile, waiting patiently for him to say something.

"Er, well, I came to, um-er, buy a scarf-" This cued a quick kick in the knee from Eldren. "I mean, how are you doing today?" And in the ensuing debacle, Hannan had forgotten all about his ward's encounter with the Blues.


	7. A meeting at the market

Alys bent over the stand, scrutinizing the small bottles and tins of wares under the purple canopy with a curious look. _What does this do? Where do I start? _She had always dismissed cosmetics out of hand for their outrageous price per weight, so now she had no idea what to do. The labels were staring at her, but stubbornly not imparting any knowledge. _Any other Trainee could ask her Companion..._ She quickly shook that idea out of her head. It didn't do any good to be resentful-and it definitely didn't make you feel better. Anyway, she had already devised a clever system to communicate with Lani. If she wanted to say something, Lani would write in the dirt or point at words Alys would bring. Normally though, Alys would just talk at length about her day and ask yes or no questions, to which Lani would respond with a nod or a shake of her head. Besides, would Companions even know anything about facial powders? All in all, she wasn't missing much-not really.

"Miss, how can I help you?" Save for his unusually fair skin, the seller seemed like a typical merchant of higher end goods-well clothed, well spoken, and strangely slick. _Well, my bond with Alberich is such that it cannot be shaken by such charms! _Unfortunately, only she seemed to fully realize their _bond_-so she had set out to change exactly that.

"I'm looking for something that will make me look older," she replied hopefully. Yes, surely the problem was that he didn't see her as a potential partner at all-not only was she his student, she was also half his age. Obviously, any decent man would not think he was feeling any further affection than a protective one; therefore, all she had to do was look more his age, just to get him thinking-then their _bond _would do the rest of the work.

Now, it would be pretty difficult to keep the look up during weapons class, with all the sweating and whatnot, so she would simply have to match his schedule instead and try to run into him between classes.

_"Are you...is that you, Alys?" _he would say, when they pass each other at sunset, the most romantic time of the day.

_"W-Weapons Second Alberich?" she gasped, and smiled warmly. "This is she. Is anything the matter?"_

_"N-no..." he trailed off, trying to understand the strange sensation in his chest. "You...different look, today."_

_"O-oh is that so?" She put a hand to her forehead, covering up the possible perpetrator. "I hurt myself earlier riding-even with a Companion's support, I'm helpless-"_

_"No, it is not that," he reassured quickly, his dark eyes gazing at her. "You just look-look lovely." He blushed and looked away, unable to believe that he had said something so embarrassing._

_"Er-oh-thank you," she said awkwardly, a flush coloring her face as well. They stood in silence, and finally he spoke up-_

"Miss, so what do you think?"

"Yes I-! I mean, what?" She looked at the boxes and creams the merchant displayed before her.

"This collection will give you the perfect complexion to turn you into a mature lady. If _you _are the one using them, miss, I'm sure you'll be able to charm any man in Haven!" Well that sounded _quite _lovely.

"How much are they?" she breathed. As he responded, she discovered that this small line of powders and creams were a strangely _expensive_ assortment, and at each figure her eyes widened a little more, until her eyelids nearly reached her temples.

_I can't_, she mourned. _I couldn't possibly buy this and still get presents for the littles back in the orphanage-actually, I couldn't possibly buy all of these no matter what! What is this mineral from the sea? The sea is apparently salty if I recall correctly-how could salt possibly be good for my skin? _Or maybe it was? Perhaps she needed to experiment-no, if that were true, then her skin should have been beautiful after her first few weeks of cooking at the orphanage. But there was no choice but these wonderful wares in front of her...well, if she worked some extra hours-

"That's too much." She jumped at the sound next to her, and looked up. It was the newest Trainee, a weathered boy who bore a remarkable resemblance to the gallant Alberich (though not nearly as _handsome_) with a perpetually serious expression on his face, and just behind him was an unfamiliar boy who looked on questioningly. In contrast to the dark features of the Trainee, the latter was sandy haired and light skinned, the type that would sunburn before he tanned. As the Grey scrutinized the collection by himself, his companion's face lit up with a wide, jaunty grin, and he stuck out his hand to her.

"Name's Dieder-and you?" Alys took it, forgetting her confusion about the development at the sight of friendliness.

"I'm Alys. Are you Trainee...Keren's friend then?" Dieder snorted.

"Kerchen, ya mean. Ain't Keren a girl's name?"

"Oh you're right!" She supposed she should have taken more time to memorize a Trainee's name, and-now that he mentioned it, there actually _was_ a female Herald Keren-well, the important thing was that she knew _now_.

"I am sorry that I am minding your business, but what would you need all of those for?" Kerchen crouched down and studied the labels, and Alys imagined that the seller recognized him as well, as he gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. Alys had the distinct impression that the merchant wouldn't try to persuade this Trainee of anything, though doubtless he had tried in the past.

"I'm trying to look older," she replied absently, more focused on watching Kerchen test out other makeups on the back of his hand, the furrow between his brow never disappearing. Dieder tapped his foot impatiently.

"Oi Ker, d'ya actually like makeups or somethin'? Y'made it _sound _like it were a job-"

"It's my duty to help my fellow Trainees," Kerchen replied matter-of-factly. He looked at Dieder askance, raising an eyebrow in mock disdain. "Are you that worried that someone is going to say we're shaych again? How self conscious of you."

"'ey you!-if ya didn't keep stoppin' t'look at makeups and flower teas, mebbe I wudn't hafta worry 'bout that, huh?"

"_I_ am trying to give Grandma Magdee a gift that she would like," the other boy retaliated. "Maybe if you could get your head out of your stomach, you would think of something too." Dieder made a face.

"Kernos' tits, ya don't know anythin' about tea anyhow! Just pick the firs' one ya see an' call it a day!"

"That's just like you, putting the first thing you see into your mouth-"

"Oi, that's not even-an' I'm a growin' lad, 'course I need t'eat. That's why I ain't a shortie like you-"

"I'm hardly short!" Watching them exchange retorts, Alys began to laugh, much to the surprise of the boys. As far as she knew, Kerchen hardly ever said a word, and to think that such a taciturn guy would act like that-the contrast was just too funny. _Though we've practiced together, I don't think I've even talked to him yet-I wonder why?_ They stopped their argument to stare at her instead, and the merchant decided to speak up into the lull, a touch impatiently.

"Pardon me, but what shall the miss be purchasing then?" Alys looked to Kerchen, who took the cue to choose for her. He pondered the stand, and selected a much smaller assortment of powders and a cream.

"These will do for the cosmetics. Do you need a brush or cosmetic cloths as well?"

"Um, I need everything I guess-" Alys trailed off as Kerchen immediately pulled a few more items off the stand. Even with the applicators (which Alys hadn't thought of at all), the total came to much less than the original package, so she happily bought everything. As they left, Kerchen looked at her quizzically.

"You could have bargained," he pointed out. "With some work, we could have helped you cut the price by at least ten percent." Dieder wrinkled his nose.

"I see yer already takin' my help fer a given, huh." Kerchen raised an eyebrow that seemed to ask, _so you wouldn't? _Dieder gave a grunt as if to say, _why am I surrounded by all this girly stuff? _Alys laughed and held onto her purchases affectionately.

"There's no need! It's already a lot better than what I was about to buy."

"Are you not in need of money? A coin saved is a coin earned." Alys looked at him questioningly.

"How did you know that?" she asked quizzically. "Are you a Foreseer? Thoughtsenser?" Kerchen dismissed these ideas with a wave of his hand.

"We visit your Lounging Hollow tavern sometimes. Surely you would not be working there if you did not need the money. I am impressed that you work and manage still to keep up in your courses." Although "keep up" was an overstatement, Alys didn't bother to correct him.

"Wow, now that I think about it, I think I _have_ seen you guys before!" How strange that she never even recognized a Trainee at her own tavern-well, it wasn't something she was normally looking out for, so it was only to be expected. Dieder scratched his head.

"Really? Mebbe once 'r twice, dun really remember..." Kerchen sighed.

"We went several times. You are normally just too drunk at that point to remember anything." He shrugged with a slight air of superiority. "Your gross misconduct is appalling-will you ever learn how to act civilly?"

"'ey, now don't go actin' all high 'n mighty 'cause yer a Trainee-"

"If not drinking to the point I cannot stand without aid is called acting high and mighty, I say your standards are too low." Alys laughed as they resumed sparring verbally.

"How did you two meet each other? You're so different!" Immediately abandoning the quarrel, Dieder then took the stage with a gallant flourish.

"Well, that all started when I was a poor lil waif, tryin' t'scrounge up sum food fer my sick mother. But suddenly! A demon whirls in front o' me, knife at m'neck-"

"One day I caught a _thief_," Kerchen corrected sharply, "who was stealing nonstop in the middle of the day from a kind old lady-"

"-A murderous look in his eye-"

"-He was stuffing so many apples down his shirt, he like a fat chicken was-"

"-"What yer doin'" growled he, a sinister look in 'is beady eyes-"

"-When I called out to him, he scurried off like a rat-" They continued to tell their own versions of their first meeting, occasionally pausing to refute a point in the other's. Alys wasn't quite sure which one to believe, but she at least knew it was funny so she laughed instead. When they were finally done, they gave her a look which seemed to ask which side she was taking. Instead of choosing one, she said,

"Wow, that's so interesting! Oh, are you both going to the Collegium then? That's where I'm headed!" Kerchen shook his head.

"No, we need to shop some more-are you sure you do not need an escort back?"  
"Haha, oh Kerchen! What could possibly happen to me during the day in Haven?" He frowned.

"It is starting to be dark. Besides, there are pickpockets, kidnappers..." he rattled off a list that irresistibly reminded her of one of Elyssa's lectures. Dieder rolled his eyes.

"Ya think too much. Well, I guess this is where we say bye-'twas nice to meet'cha. We'll stop by again sometime, yea?"

"I'd love that!" After they waved goodbye, Alys bounded off back to Companion's Field, where Lani waited. There was a lot she wanted to tell her today-not least of all the things she learned about her new friend Trainee Kerchen.


	8. Alys and Kerchen

"I saw that sigh," Eldren grinned. "It's saying, "why him again?"" Hannan tried to stop his frown, but that, too, was impossible to hide from the eerie merchant's son. _Is it because he comes from a family who makes a living off being suave and sly? _They couldn't yet afford a house among the old aristocracy, but they were comfortably situated in the inner parts of Haven. They were probably masters in the art of reading people, judging from their son. The scary part was that he wasn't even a Thoughtsenser.

Eldren was, of course, right on the money, so to speak. Today they were paired off to try their hand against the Weapons Second as a team. Although Hannan tried his best to situate himself next to Alys (and then maybe even _ask _her), he failed once again in procuring her as a partner-losing this time not to Elyssa, but Kerchen. When she picked him, Hannan thought his fears that she would fall for him were realized-but Alys clearly indicated her continuing affection for the Weapons Second, so he figured that there was nothing between them. _Although that isn't much better.._

They paused their casual practicing to watch as Alys and Kerchen were called up to spar with the Weapons Second. After Dethor gave the signal to start, it quickly became clear that the match was going to be more of a comedy act than anything else. Alys, whose mind was clearly not on _battling _Alberich, began to swing her stave randomly in Alberich's general direction, and was soon met with a whack on the side, the head, or any one of her appendages (since none of them were guarded very well). Kerchen would step in from there, hoping to catch the Weapons Second unaware after his attack on Alys, but Alberich never let him get even a glancing blow. As the quick-footed former assassin (_no, I have to stop bringing that up_) put up a laudable defense, Alys would sit in a dreamy daze for a bit, entirely useless in the "team" effort. The Trainee without his head in the clouds would spar with everything he had-though perhaps he had taken his solo act too far. He clearly didn't account for his partner at all, and more often than not ran into Alys (who was still swinging haphazardly) while trying to avoid an attack. If he managed to avoid her stave as well, then at worst they would both tumble to the ground; if he didn't, then he received a heady blow (and this was the only type of blow Alys was landing). Aghast after each instance of this, she would try to pick up the battle from there-usually still hurting her partner more than Alberich, either hitting Kerchen in the gut with a stray swing, or otherwise running into him in clumsy attempts to evade.

Hannan forgot to close his mouth as he watched the fiasco unfold before him. At one point, Kerchen had fallen after catching a blow from Alys's attempt to hit Alberich. Immediately after, she raised her stave so excessively that it whipped backwards to smack him in the head just after he picked himself off the ground. She didn't even manage to hit Alberich. Neither did Kerchen manage to get up. The Weapons Second, realizing that this team was going to need a bit of extra practice, let them "die" several more times before he finally dropped his weapon in disgust.

"Terrible!" he spat furiously, as Dethor sighed with similar irritation. The Weaponsmaster walked towards them with such resignation, Hannan had the crazy impression that it was their funeral.

"How well you two did, as I hope we all know, can go unsaid. Trainee Kerchen, you must learn how to fight alongside your allies-if not another soldier, then at least your Companion will be fighting with you. The way you are now is a disgrace, and the best you could be on the battlefield is _worthless_. And Trainee Alys-_where _exactly are you swinging your stave? Did you even know who your opponent was? I'd rather have you as an enemy than on my side!" After this warm up, he began a tirade at the duo as Alberich moved onto the next pair of students, and even Alys noticed his palpable ire past her general dreamy gaze. She looked guiltily to Kerchen, but the latter was too busy seeing stars to return the look. Hannan had no doubt that he had just seen the worst routine of the day and just stared with apprehension and disbelief.

"Eldren," Hannan gulped, "I'm worried." Eldren was busy sniggering.

"They make a good pair," he chuckled. "If they weren't Trainees, they could probably be a comedic duo in a troupe." Hannan tried to laugh, but all that came out was despair in foreign syllables. Unlike Eldren, he knew that there was a Karsite war on their heels, and sending Alys and Kerchen in their current state...well they might as well kill them now. Ideally, Alys would not get her Whites until the war was over, but that wasn't something to count on. Eldren continued, running a hand through his straight hair. "This is the last class before the Midwinter break-isn't it good your mentee has made a friend?" Hannan spluttered.

"Y-you knew I was his mentor?" He instinctively looked to Elyssa out of fear. Luckily, Elyssa was still singlemindedly improving her already formidable stave skills on a dummy, oblivious to any kind of fraternizing with Karsites that Hannan was doing. She didn't even spare a glance in Alys's direction after picking up her weapon-a slightly disturbing habit she had acquired in the last few days. Eldren gave a sly smile looking askance at Kerchen.

"I tutored him for a bit in Gift classes-he's already quite good at Farsight, so the real instructor has already taken over him. A pity though-he returned my focus stone in class rather than in my room."

"Wha-!" Hannan's jaw dropped, trying to think of a rebuke. Despite that Kerchen had never once asked for his help, Hannan still felt it distinctly _wrong_ that Eldren should try anything on his ward. Unfortunately, he still wasn't good with words, so only stammering actually came out of his mouth, even while Eldren was clearly scrutinizing Kerchen's unwontedly vulnerable frame. _Gods, if I could just find the words!_ And then _say_ them. The latter, as usual, paid no mind to Hannan's inner conflicts.

"It's a pity, but perhaps he'll loosen up one day, be curious-hey, isn't he leaving with Alys?" Following Eldren's sight, Hannan turned around to catch Alys and Kerchen walking off the salle grounds.

"W-wait, why-"

"Well Hannan, because we're just sparring off with Alberich today, once we're done we can leave right af-"

"No! That's not what I meant," Hannan said, aware that "whined" was probably more accurate. "They've been paired a few times here, but otherwise they haven't met each other. Why would they just leave together like that?" Eldren raised an eyebrow.

"Have you been doing some stalking of your own, Hannan?" He tried to hide his guilty look, but that was impossible. _Gods, if Elyssa knew that I studied in the dining hall to keep an eye on the Karsite.._

_:I think she would approve, actually,: _Erron supplied. _:Well, provided you were watching for suspicious movements, rather than for-dare I say it?-his sake. Otherwise, she wouldn't be pleased with you, no. By the way, have I told you that you really must get over your fear of her?:_

_:I'm not afraid of her!: Just girls in general_-no, adding that wouldn't help his case any. Regardless, Eldren decided not to pursue this topic and instead put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Kerchen tends to ignore new people, so I don't believe they just met. Perhaps they met at her tavern, then? If Trainee Alberich goes, then why not other Trainees?" Only Eldren would refer to the Weapons Second as Trainee Alberich-but that aside..

"You think they're meeting at her tavern?" Hannan gulped, wondering what kind of conversations he'd been missing. While he had been hoping for his ward to befriend someone, he had specifically wanted him to befriend someone else...

_:I'm selfish, aren't I,: _Hannan mourned.

_:No, you're being logical,: _comforted Erron. _:The kid's a knife wielding justice serving scarred and rugged Karsite with a heart of gold and a complicated past, just like her current obsession but actually her age and able to hide his scars, somehow. If she gets to know him and crack his icy shell, why _wouldn't _she fall for him instead of Alberich and by default you-:_

_:You're saying this just to be mean, I know it!:_

* * *

"Close your eyes," Kerchen instructed Alys, who obeyed dutifully. While he would not have guessed he'd be doing this a week ago, he took it in step anyway. Since setting foot in Haven, he started doing a lot of things that he never would have imagined otherwise. _For a thinner look, reproduce the effect of contours by darkening the cheeks-thin the nose-bring out the front-_

_:Dieder's right, you do enjoy this,: _Alvira commented coyly. Was there anything wrong with it? Kerchen was starting to get the impression that there was _something_, but Valdemarans were unwontedly roundabout on a strange assortment of subjects. No matter-he had to concentrate on the task at hand.

After a few disastrous attempts herself, Alys had decided that she wanted Kerchen to apply her cosmetics, so for the last few days, he had been coming to her room after the last class of the day. He wasn't sure if this was something normal to do, but he supposed it couldn't hurt. Her room was drastically different from his-since moving in, Kerchen had augmented his room with nothing more than school supplies, a handful of books, and an apple or two. Alys's room was piled with cushions, mountains of patchwork pillows and blankets everywhere-he had the impression he was trodding on a fluffy assortment of various clouds. He had to leave his boots by the door, but that was fine since he always kept some knives in his sleeves.

"Hey Ker', what other friends do you have?" Alys piped up. He wasn't fond of Alys's habit of talking while he was working on her face, but he had since given up trying to tell her to stop. She wasn't stubbornly perverse more than scatterbrained, but the latter was worse in some respects.

"Only Dieder." Hannan only looked after him because he was his mentor, and-while he wasn't exactly sure what Eldren was thinking, he was fairly certain it wasn't camaraderie.

"Now you have me too!" she pointed out brightly. Kerchen had to smile at her enthusiasm. Given the same line, Dieder had only shot him an uncomfortable expression.

"For that, I am thankful."

_:Hey, what about me? I'm not your friend?:_

_:Didn't you say that Companions were better than friends? How can you be both?: _Alvira reluctantly conceded with a hint of regret.

_:Still, because I'm your Companion and I saved you from certain death, I think I deserve special treatment. For example, you should count me as a friend too. And Companion, of course. Perhaps mother, sister. Partner. Master-:_

_:Alright, I think you've gone far enough.:_

"Where did you learn how to put on makeup?"

"A mentor of mine taught me." He wondered what Adelinne might be doing now-

"How are you doing in your classes?" _Still with the non sequiturs.._

"I am in a good position. Hold still, I am working on your eyes." She made an effort, but still couldn't help fidgeting.

"Where do you come from?" Kerchen froze. He could refuse to answer, but unlike King's Own Talamir, Alys didn't seem like the type that would let things slide. Lying was out of the question, but he wasn't sure she could keep his secret-or if she would understand why it was a secret at all. It would leave a bad taste in his mouth, but he could just say he was from the Border...

_If you didn't want her to know, then you shouldn't have approached her in the first place, _a side of him pointed out._ Look at you, in the heart of the White Demon's lair, so to speak-and still assuming White Demons are dangerous. Clearly you're ready to put some faith in your fellow Trainees, so just take that next step and try it._

_:I agree with your logical side,: _Alvira added. _:He says some good things.: _Kerchen scowled. For some reason, her praise of his "logical side" never seemed flattering. Nevertheless, he had to admit it was true-although he hadn't been avoiding the Trainees, he did try to discourage conversation precisely so that he would be asked similar questions. Eventually, he noticed that he no longer had to _try_. While it was more practical and had been the result he was trying to achieve, there was a part of him that hoped to know more about his peers.

_Actually, I already know quite a bit about them_. Just because they had been trying not to pay attention to him didn't mean the opposite was true. _It used to be my job-I should be proud for being able to be secretive while still out in the open._

_Well, it was easy because no one wants to talk to you._

_You stop that. _Since it was himself, why couldn't it say something nice once in awhile? He should feel proud of the result, and perhaps he was a little bit, but the feeling of wanting more was simply greater. _Wanting what? I suppose it's to-to join them? Or something like that._ _But how could I, being from Karse as I am? Even Alberich doesn't mingle with the Trainees. He stays with Dethor, who understands him at a professional level. _And he was fairly certain there weren't any other Trainees that had shared his previous , there was no point in wasting his time hoping-he wouldn't fit in, and he would get by just fine. He already had Alvira and Dieder, so what more did he need? One shouldn't get too greedy. _But what about Alys? Shouldn't I trust her by now? _Well, he was already here; he could at least try and hope she wouldn't recoil-or worse, tell everyone she knew.

"I come from-"

"Karse right?" Dumbly, Kerchen dropped the cosmetic pad, which landed powder first into her trews. Though he had meant to say that, he certainly didn't expect to hear it from her mouth first. _If I had, I wouldn't have spent so long worrying about it..._

Alys continued, oblivious of Kerchen's expression. "I thought you looked a bit like Weapons Second Alberich, but the other day you did that funny verb changing thing that he does, so I just knew!" He was a little tongue-tied to reply, but that made sense. "Oh, also Elyssa told me to stay away from you-since you're such a nice guy, obviously it must be because you're from Karse!" _Elyssa Hasenhower. Yes, her hatred would be the clincher there... _He had been paired with her in weapons class once-while it had been the most technically rewarding of his practice bouts, in fact didn't even feel like a practice, he wasn't sure if he wanted to work with her again. She had said only two words to him-_"I know"_-but her tone had said a lot more and her stave everything else. "Kerchen? Can I open my eyes? Kerchen, I don't think my trousers need any makeup."

"Oh, I sorry am-I mean, I'm sorry-" Alys laughed as Kerchen cleaned up the residue. Powders were expensive and messy, and he cursed his clumsiness. Even after he scraped and salvaged what he could, that must still be a few copper bits laying uselessly on her cushions now. To make such a mistake-he had to be losing his touch. Alys put a hand out to stop him from wiping the rest up.

"Don't worry so much! My room isn't the cleanest thing anyway-actually, it could do with a bit more color." He looked down to see that the cushion was now, indeed, a different shade of tan in some places. Well, it was true enough-if the clothes had to be that dull by design, then at least the room could have some touches to it.

_:Your room is hardly the most artistic thing out there either,: _Alvira pointed out.

_:I hardly have time to think about decorations between classwork and your obsession with riding. You know I've never even tried to ride my mule before-:_

_:And now you're much better at riding, thanks to my expert and intensive tutoring!: _Alvira finished with satisfaction. Well, he couldn't deny that he'd improved, if only by necessity. Alys piped up again, heralding yet another torrent of questions.

"How is it like in Karse? Is it really different from here?" He sighed. _Different-well, where to begin on that one?_


	9. Bemusement

hey all!

Today I deleted a word, and the word count went down by 15. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a word count?

* * *

"Haha, the Son of the Sun-it sounds the same!" Alys proceeded to laugh like it was the funniest pun she'd ever heard. Kerchen scratched the side of his face awkwardly.

"Well-it is not meant to be wordplay..." he trailed off. Alys had taken an unexpected interest in his background, and listened avidly to his tales as they walked. For all her eagerness, he wasn't sure she had quite the right reaction to Karse's religion. _At least it's not negative, I suppose._ As they walked down the corridor, a familiar figure glided down the hall towards them-he seemed to notice them too, as his nose immediately stuck up into the air. Alys frowned.

"Aren't you going to say hi? We're classmates you know, I see you all the time," she said, as Jedeth turned away from them. He scoffed.

"Excuse me, all _I_ recall is you attacking me like a barbarian," he replied loftily. "Why don't you go back to the pigsty you came from, read up on some manners, and then come back to pretend to be my peer?" Jedeth folded his arms, smirking. "If you do well, maybe I'll let you run some errands for me." Before even Kerchen could comment on the rudeness of that statement, Alys flared up.

"What's wrong with you? Maybe if you stopped acting like you were better than us all the time, I wouldn't feel like clawing your eyes out in the first place!" Kerchen raised an eyebrow. _She's surprisingly violent.._

_:This is hardly the first time they've had this argument,: _Alvira commented, _:You could say they've perfected their own spiel to a fine art.:_

"I _am _better than you-who exactly do you think you are?"

"Why you-you think you're better than me? Why's that, because your head is so inflated it can't sit on your shoulders without being cushioned by five dead squirrels?" Jedeth opened his mouth angrily, but then shut it, a façade of calm and genuine condescension effusing his face.

"I'm sorry, but this is _mink_-oh, well of course an uncultured, vulgar brat like yourself wouldn't know _that_." Alys put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, well is that how it is?" She put her hand up, opening and closing it in a mock impression of a mouth. "Hey, look at me!" she simpered, "I'm wearing a _different _dead animal because that gives me so much more _class. _No need to feed _that _one, the only thing here that needs feeding is my excessive _ego_." Kerchen looked on at the posing Alys.

_:To call this a fine art-Alvira, that's simply too much.: _She responded with only a snigger in the back of his mind.

_:You say that, but you're not that much better with Dieder.: _He frowned at the comparison.

_:I think we do so with good humor. This one is intended to be offensive.: Even if neither are doing a good job of it._

_:You don't know that. They argue with each other so often, that if they really wanted to say hurtful things, don't you think they would have figured out how by now? Perhaps this is all posing, and they've developed a sense of camaraderie deep down.: _It could be that. Maybe. More likely, however, was that neither Jedeth nor Alys knew enough about the other to make a real stab. Jedeth never deigned to learn anything about people in the lower classes, and Alys-well, was herself. Jedeth couldn't understand why Alys wasn't taking offense to being called ill-mannered, and Alys couldn't understand why pointing out that fur came from a dead animal wouldn't offend Jedeth. The situation was almost comedic. Dieder, on the other hand, could easily think of something terribly insulting to say about his being from Karse, Valdemar's longtime enemy, and Kerchen could talk about Dieder's inability to care for his mother properly-but they had never dealt such blows before, and probably never would.

"-nothing but an idiot in a dull gray uniform-"

"You're just an idiot in an outlandish circus costume-" The odd boy out decided that this conversation was going nowhere.

"Alys, do you not have an appointment? You might be late," he spoke up, stepping forward so that the two parties would take notice of him. Still seething, Alys looked askance at the setting sun. She suddenly widened her eyes, forgetting the argument entirely.

"You're right! I have to go or I'll miss him!" She ran off, leaving Kerchen with Jedeth and a cloud of dirt in her wake. The furclad noble, a boy with green eyes and impeccably groomed long, blond hair, studied him briefly. Kerchen did the same in turn-though he knew enough about the boy already. Jedeth Levalen had a bullying streak, though his never crossed a line at which the Trainee would decide to interfere. It was usually an exchange of petty words, and a few low blows during practice in weapons class, the only class they shared. In truth, Kerchen thought it was essentially a good thing-why not have some practice defending yourself from unexpected attacks? Jedeth raised an eyebrow and broke the silence.

"What are you looking at?" And, scoffing, the highborn left without another word.

_:I guess it would have been really unexpected if he said something polite,": _Alvira commented dryly. Yes, that would have been very unlikely. Still, Jedeth had left without a sneer, which wasn't his normal reaction to most Grays. From their occasional bouts in weaponsclass, Kerchen had the sense that Jedeth felt a sort of pity for him, but the reason why, even for all his observation, was a mystery.

* * *

Alberich let none of his bemusement show.

"What a coincidence, Weapons Second Alberich," the girl said with cheer. "What are you doing here?"

"Materials for Weaponsmaster Dethor getting," he replied, though it wasn't the perfect excuse at this time in the evening. _A coincidence? Why would a Trainee be here at this hour? _He was on the path to Companion's Field, but it was a bit late to be riding. The girl-Trainee Alys, he now recognized, smiled. _It's her again. Why does she seem to be everywhere?_

"Oh, so you're going to town! I'm heading that way too!" _So she's taking her Companion. _No, her Companion was nowhere in sight, and she was looking too well kept to have just finished riding. In fact, she was looking a good deal tidier than normal, as though she had been preparing to go to a party. "Since it's the same direction, let's go together!" The evil Karsite Trainee could not quite believe his ears.

_I yell at her in every class. Why does she want to go with me? _Admittedly, it didn't seem like his lectures were fazing her importantly, how was he going to decline without being suspicious?

"I on Kantor am," he began slowly. "Pace too fast will be."

"You can't go too fast in Haven! I'll keep up just fine-in fact, you said that I need to exercise more, right?" There was a lot of other things he and Dethor told her to do, so he couldn't understand why she would choose that one to heed, at this very moment. _I can't get rid of her, _he realized. _Well, if I say I'm going to the Companion's Bell to eat first, that should be innocuous enough. _Dethor had early dinners, but she shouldn't know that.

"First to Companion's Bell going I am," he said soberly. "Until then, that fine is." She nodded vigorously and began to follow him. As they approached a lamppost, he studied her more carefully.

_Is it just me, or does she look older? _Now that he thought about it, a few days ago she was sporting two black eyes-perhaps she was experimenting with cosmetics? If that's the case, then she had improved considerably-now if only she could improve that much in weaponry..

"Do you need to pick things up at the Companion's Bell?" she chirped, shuffling along next to him much like an eager puppy. "What do they hold besides food?" Alberich would have preferred to stay silent, but he would rather not give anyone an excuse to suspect him, even if it was just Trainee Alys.

"No, have dinner I will," he replied brusquely, hoping to quench any further discussion.

"Oh? You haven't already had dinner?" she asked with surprise. He raised an eyebrow. It was too late to ride, but it was a bit early for dinner.

_She must know that I have, _he realized. _Otherwise she wouldn't be surprised. _How had she known? Now that he thought about it, how had she managed to run into him so often? _It must be on purpose. Does she suspect me? Has she been pretending to be simpleminded so that I would let my guard down? _If so, then he hadn't met even Sunpriests that duplicitous.

"I see, you must be exercising so much that you need two dinners!" she exclaimed, eyes widening at her epiphany. "Do you need two lunches too? Then you'd be practically two people!" Alberich mentally crossed off cunning as an adjective to describe Trainee Alys.

_:Kantor, do you know if she saw me with Dethor today?: _Some students had taken to spying on the infamous Weapons Second in the Weaponsmaster's quarters, possibly in hopes of seeing him eat a baby or something similar. At night, it would send him on edge, especially since an assassin from Karse, as he now knew, had done the exact same thing.

_:Lani says yes,: _Kantor affirmed. _:But don't worry, Lani trusts you. So does her Chosen.: _Alberich could hear a faint snicker in his mind but decided he didn't want to know. As long as Trainee Alys wasn't trying to find an opportunity to stab him by acting innocuous, he supposed that was enough.

While he had been with worse company, he was relieved to part ways with her at the Companion's Bell. The amount of words that flew out of her mouth was astonishing, and she had a habit of asking nosy questions without realizing how sensitive they were. If it weren't for Kantor's assertion of Alys's and her Companion's approval, he might have really suspected that she was secretly interrogating him. Despite that she was chattering nonstop, he still had no idea what she had come to town for, or anything more about her except her propensity for talking.

_:I see the heart of a girl is still foreign to you,: _Kantor quipped.

_:You give me an explanation as to why she's treating me like her best friend when the last thing I did before her Midwinter break was to hit her around the salle until she was black and blue,: _Alberich snapped. Kantor was enjoying his irritation a little too much.

_:If I tell you, then you wouldn't have learned anything,: _Kantor said smugly. Alberich didn't bother to reply to this and concentrated on his work instead. Tonight he was Mellien Fanvareld, an otherwise trustworthy merchant who didn't mind dealing in the shadier parts of town. Mellien was a man who kept his mouth shut and would buy and sell anything so long as it makes a penny. Alberich had caught word of a growing black market, and Mellien was the best man to find out why.

He sat patiently in a corner, his wares spread out on a dull but well made cloth. A loud mouth was a loose mouth, so he kept quiet, only sometimes urging the occasional passerby. He had bought his corner of the Solid Oak tavern, so the owner paid him no mind. Of course, he kept the more potent of his merchandise on his body, as any smart seller would do-and now he simply had to wait.

_A nonmaterial trade would be a bit harder to ferret out, but there hasn't been an abnormal number of abductions, so it doesn't seem likely that a slave trader has appeared. _Not that it was likely in the first place. Simple prostitution was possible, but it was doubtful something so common would have stirred that much excitement in the black market. Mellien had a good chance of getting his hands on a scoop. Nevertheless, he would still need to wait for news to come by, so he settled himself in, watching Solid Oak's clientele-and spotted something interesting indeed.

_:There are nobles here.: _It was easy enough to tell that-they simply did not blend in. They were too skittish, too ginger-yet at the same time, many of them looked entirely at ease with the setting, as if they often frequented such places. The cluster of highborn were engrossed in a dice game with men that were truly locals of the area. Jedeth Levalen, a willowy boy with a surprisingly sturdy build whom he recognized from weapons classes, was sitting smugly at the table, watching his opponent through a pile of round painted tokens. His cohorts lingered behind him, sporting similarly condescending looks, though their mouths were covered with a coquettish hand. Alberich sent an image to Kantor, who stirred in recognition.

_:Not all of them attend the weapons class, but these are certainly faces of Blues. Besides Jedeth whom you know, that is Rahlen of Poitregas house, the other boy is the second son of the Thirnends-why, even Shendelle of the Fairthelds! What is that self proclaimed flower of courtiers doing there?: _That was exactly what Alberich wanted to know-though what intrigued him, possibly even more, was how Jedeth continued to win in the disreputable Solid Oak, and why his friends seemed to sneer at both the locals and their representative player.


	10. Elyssa's Midwinter 1

hey all!

Well, I missed 10/10, but oh well. The pace is slow, so thanks for continuing to stick with me!

* * *

"Despite everything, you seem eager to get back," Eldren commented, handing Elyssa one of her packs. Elyssa sighed, trying not to imagine what kind of antics Alys would be up to in her absence-well, she couldn't be everywhere at once, so she had to prioritize. Hannan had said the Karsites were on their heels, and to all hells if she was going to let her Holding fall prey. Her parents were always ready for the occasional bandits, but an extended campaign would require more resources than they usually had on hand. She had already tried to warn them secretly through letters, but her attempts to hide the information from anyone who intercepted the letter seemed to have worked _too_ well. _There's simply no way to win._

"Yes, well, I suppose I will have to trust you two to watch out for her." Elyssa secured another back on Karyla. She paused, scrutinizing the leather straps that were still hanging. _How shall I strap the bow so that I can access it quickly? _She _probably _wasn't going to need it, but-well, one never knew. Despite the nondescript reply she had given him, Eldren smiled.

"I can assure you that Hannan will be _watching _her, in the very least," he remarked with humor. "No doubt his Companion will be there by his side, shaking his head all the while." The corners of Elyssa's mouth turned.

"His Companion must have monumental patience to stand living that scene in repeat. And what shall you be up to, as our friend is afflicted with paralysis and a severe bout of stuttering?" Eldren put a hand to his chin in mock pondering.

"Well, I suppose I shall try my charms on the sundries girl, so that she might be willing to flirt with Hannan at a discount." His eye twitched, a movement that matched the dryness in his otherwise light tone. "I had bet on him making more progress than he has, but I forgot that Herald-Trainees are often extraordinary creatures, whose patterns cannot be predicted." She had to chuckle at this. Eldren had decided that what their dear secluded friend needed was more exposure, so informally hired a girl to put up with his stuttering until he was able to form more coherent sweet talk. The results so far had been less than satisfactory, and though it was a pittance out of his allowance, even a Trainee's, Eldren hated to see money go to waste.

"You were too ambitious. Besides, wouldn't a Trainee have done so for free? We have Thoughtsensers, which might break him in, and surely Nessa wouldn't mind keeping him company." Now it was Eldren's turn to chuckle.

"_Nessa? _Well, she would entertain him for free, no doubt, but I think it's too much like casting a rabbit into a lion's den-or, lioness?"

"Well, sometimes you must learn to run before you can walk."

"My dear, that is a proverb that likely even Shin'a'in wouldn't adopt." They shared a look, and then laughed. It seemed absurd to her that they would be talking about socially adjusting Hannan at such a critical time, but Eldren's presence made her feel more at ease than any blade at her side. It was entirely the opposite reaction to Alys...

_I haven't been paying a lot of attention to her lately. _A pang of guilt accompanied the thought. Ever since the last letter arrived from her parents, she hadn't been in her right mind. But honestly, how could they have missed her hints? "Well, then until Hannan is ready to receive her, I leave Alys in your hands. Don't let her get into unnecessary trouble-she seems to have an affinity for it." Eldren gave a shrug that said he didn't think she was going to be in dire trouble, but that he would humor her request anyway. Elyssa opened her mouth to reiterate, but Eldren opened his first.

"Heyla Selenay!" he called, waving past Elyssa to the Heir astride her Companion. On her way to the city proper, Selenay caught sight of them, smiled, and came over to greet them.

"Heyla! Are you two going home for Midwinter?" she asked, as her Companion came to a stop before Karyla. Eldren replied, regarding her fondly as he did any half decent girl.

"Yes, but I live in Haven. We were just sending off Elyssa here, who lives near the border of Rethwellan.

"Oh, that's far-the Hasenhower estate in the southeast corner?" Elyssa nodded, glad that she didn't call it the new Merisherd tract, as nobles had been apt to do. They seemed unable to divide land into anything other than the holdings of the courtiers and farmland. _No wonder Mother left those brickheads to live with Father instead._

_:I think your mother simply enjoys cutting up bandits more than attending fancy balls,: _Karyla added. _:From what you tell me, danger draws her like a moth to candlelight.: _That was a more or less accurate description. Speaking of danger...

"Well, as it is difficult to predict how long peace will last, I won't pass up an opportunity to be with my family," she replied, and watched the slight flicker across Selenay's face.

"That's commendable," Selenay agreed, uncharacteristically formal in manner. _She knows, and she isn't planning on telling me. Doesn't she consider that this concerns our life and death? _Elyssa felt herself heating with anger but hid it with the control she'd gained in the court. Stupider things had been done before-though those didn't have her family's lives at stake.

"Now that I think about it, there's interesting gossip about. I hear we can expect a concentrated attack from Karse this coming year-have you heard this?" Elyssa didn't bother to wait for her reaction, though she caught Eldren raising an eyebrow at the news. "Shouldn't the king inform his subjects, lest they be ill-prepared for battle?" _Or haven't you thought of this?_ The Heir flinched, but set her chin stubbornly.

"That's true, but Father has his reasons." Selenay drew herself up to her full height, and Elyssa suddenly had the impression that Selenay would become a more than adequate Queen. "There will be enough time to prepare after Midwinter. There is no reason to rob Valdemar's people of the joy of the Midwinter Festival when we don't know how long the war will be, nor how long it'll be before they can fully enjoy themselves again."

It was a good response, better than she'd been expecting. Though still somewhat indignant, Elyssa felt a tinge of shame creeping through her. _Of course the king would have given his people adequate notice-he is a Herald, after all. It seems they've already planned ahead to the moons, years after these few weeks of Midwinter. I thought too poorly of them and jumped to conclusions._

_:Don't worry Elyssa, it's because your usual company are half scatterbrains,: _Karyla piped up. _:I can't remember the last time Alys has thought through anything.:_

_:Let's not be mean...but true.:_

"I suppose that makes sense," she admitted, feeling a bit better about her own flaws as Karyla shoved examples of Alys ruining various things. Elyssa exchanged some stilted pleasantries with Selenay, though she choked when Karyla Sent the image of Alys with raccoon eyes after a misguided flirt with makeup. Eldren, sensing the conversation's end, spoke.

"Ho, Selenay, you were heading for town. Are you off to a Heraldic hearing?"

"Oh, you're right! I better hurry now, or Mirilin will have my head." She gave a bright wave and headed off quickly, clearly just as glad to leave the awkward silence of the confrontation. Eldren turned back to Elyssa, who was still not entirely convinced of the wisdom of Sendar's plans. "No wonder you've been on edge lately-when did you hear of that?"

"Oh-not too long ago," Elyssa replied, as nonchalantly as possible. Hannan had said it was a secret, but she had let her emotions control her. _I really am losing my grip. Perhaps I will feel more at ease after my estate is fortified for battle._ Eldren wisely didn't pursue the subject further.

"You haven't been back home for a year now, right? They must be excited to see you-though with all the letters you send back and forth, I suppose there isn't much to catch up on." Elyssa found it ironic that he would say that, considering they seemed to have missed every warning she had ever sent for the last few moons. The one last week had been the final straw.

_:You're really too subtle, Chosen. Even I thought you were talking about rabid chickens in the last letter.:_

_:Oh Karyla, as if the castle would be so irresponsible as to let their chickens run amuck-well in any case, it looks like so far there's been no harm done, so I'll just tell them when I get back.:_

"I just hope they've prepared proper quarters for Karyla," Elyssa sniffed, hoisting herself onto said Companion's back. "I'm afraid they still think she's just a white version of the Ashkevron horses." Eldren snorted.

"_Those _brutes? I don't think she'd appreciate the comparison."

_:I don't.:_

"Well-this is goodbye for now. Thank you for seeing me off, Eldren."

"I enjoyed it. Besides, I still have something to give you." Opening one of Rantrel's sacks, he produced a small decorated mirror with a carved wooden handle. "Though I know you don't believe in festivities, this is my Midwinter's gift to you." Slightly bemused, Elyssa accepted the mirror from his outstretched hands.

"Oh-well, thank you," she said, turning it over in her hands. "Though isn't it much too small to help check my form?" After a pause, the boy laughed openly, making no attempt to hide his amusement. It would have been a guffaw in anyone else, and Elyssa strongly suspected she was at the short end of some joke.

"My dear Elyssa, this isn't supposed to function as one of the _salle_ mirrors," he said, chuckling. "I figured you didn't have a personal mirror, but I didn't realize you wouldn't even recognize one!" Elyssa blushed. Of course she had _heard _of them-in fact, she might have seen a couple in the market or in the hands of some courtiers; it just hadn't occurred to her that Eldren would give her something so frivolous.

"It slipped my mind," she responded simply. _Though there's more I want to add, perhaps saying less is safer. Not that he would judge me like a courtier... _She looked back to the young man, who graced her with a smile that had melted more than one lady's heart.

"I know it's not something you really care for," he continued, voicing the thoughts she just had, "but I still wanted you to have a mirror, so that you could also see what I find beautiful." Despite the legendary balance of a Companion, Elyssa almost fell off hers. Eldren didn't even bat an eye.

"Wh-what a corny thing to say," she retorted, though she could tell she was about to flush an embarrassingly bright shade of red. _Is he saying-oh Bright Astera, don't take it seriously! This player charms a dozen women a day!_ She turned away abruptly, hopefully with a dignified huff, and mentally told Karyla to run. "I wonder how many girls you've tried that one on?"

_:Are you sure you want to-:_

_:Yes, go! Go before I put spurs to you!: _Karyla then sped off at breakneck speed per her wishes, fast enough that Elyssa had missed Eldren's reply completely.


	11. Elyssa's Midwinter 1b

hey all!

Well, this was supposed to be just a two-parter instead of three, but I wanted to publish my 11th chapter on 11/11/11. Is that so bad?

* * *

_:Remember when we rode up to Haven?: _Karyla reminded her for the hundredth time that day._ :We stopped at a lot more waystations, and through much better weather.:_

_:Just because it's snowing doesn't mean it's _that _cold,: _Elyssa replied, making sure her tone was entirely unsympathetic. Irked by Elyssa's escape from Haven and subsequent dogged trek through the country, Karyla decided to make the ride much more difficult than it had to be. _:If you're trying to tell me you're tired, then forget it. I've heard stories of Companions whose newly Chosen were riders, and they ran three days straight from the Border. Besides, I've watched one of the Companions run around Companion's Field nonstop. She's been doing this for days on end.:_

_:Well, Alvira has her reasons,: _Karyla grumbled.

_:You know who I'm talking about?:_

_:Of course-she's the only one who's been running around like a maniac through rain, sleet and snow. As you know, her Chosen is that Karsite assassin-: _Karyla tried to keep her Mindvoice neutral, but it was clear that she shared the same uneasiness as Elyssa. _:She's worried he'll get picked on if she leaves him alone, so she forces him to ride until he's not good for anything but laying in bed.: _Elyssa laughed in spite of herself.

_:Well, that is _one_ explanation for how taciturn he is,: _she replied, not bothering to mention her suspicions that Trainee Kerchen still harbored loyalties to his mother country. It is said that Companions never Choose wrongly, but plenty of good people have made bad decisions before. Besides, if other Companions were suspicious of him as well-wasn't that also telling?

Elyssa sighed. She knew it was all just speculation, that the boy hadn't done anything since he was admitted into the Collegium-but how could she not suspect him when he carried every feature of any bandit from Karse? When men with the same angular cheekbones, dark brows, and strong features regularly raided her lands? Alberich had proved his loyalty protecting the Heir, but that boy was the one who _attacked_ her.

_Nevermind. It _is _Midwinter, so I should think about other things. _Such as finally informing her family about the war. _Wait, that's not exactly what you think of on Midwinter..._ Anyway, Selenay did have some good points-that it would be good to enjoy their last moments of peace, that the King Herald Sendar would always have the wellbeing of Valdemar's citizens in mind- _Well, knowing my parents, they wouldn't start preparing until they finished their feast anyway...it would do no harm to wait, then?_ Nevertheless, the idea agitated her.

Karyla slowed down, and Elyssa looked up at the iron gates of her home, the stone walls of the Hasenhower manse only a few paces further away. The building was not particularly tall but still retained a heavy, imposing aura about it, like a seated and confident king. Despite the lack of archers and guards on its walls, any bandit with half a brain would think twice before attempting to infiltrate the miniature castle. The iron gates usually added to the effect, but today they were swung wide open, certainly in anticipation of Elyssa's arrival.

As she passed through the gates, Elyssa frowned. _They couldn't have known I was coming today. I told them when I was to leave, but overestimated the length of the trip. _Had her parents just left it open for the last few days? That seemed like a gross oversight, and she planned to give them a piece of her mind.

_:Is that any way to speak about your parents?: _Karyla asked, her head swinging around as though looking for Elyssa's family.

_:You'll understand when you meet them,: _Elyssa replied, not bothering to look for anyone; no servants would linger about the front, and she could usually hear her parents before she could see them.

"Ah ha! I've defeated you, darling, with a devastating strike to your lovely torso!"

"Oh oh! I have fallen! I believe I shall need someone to hold me in his arms shortly."

"My dear, I'm here for you!" _And there they are. _Elyssa couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped her mouth if she'd tried. Up ahead on the light snow, her father was cradling his wife in his arms after she "died" dramatically, both dressed as though it were early autumn.

"Father, Mother, I daresay you two risk catching a cold like that," Elyssa called out, dismounting from Karyla. _I see they're up to their usual shenanigans.. _Her parents were wearing a matching set of beige leathers and gray breeches, though her mother's were large and billowy, made to imitate the dresses she used to wear exclusively. The lord of the Hasenhower estate swept up his lady and placed her on her feet with much unnecessary flourish. When he finished, Elyssa held out a hand to stop her father from performing the same acrobatics on her-Havens knew she wasn't going to partake in the nonsense.

As her father approached her, arms spread wide for a hug (if without the flourish), it occurred to Elyssa that Lord Radwell Hasenhower strongly fit the image of an entertainer. His dark blue eyes were large and expressive, his mouth was usually set in a wide grin, and his voice always carried a jovial tone with it. His black hair was short compared to most Valdemaran gentry, but not so short to be lower class. The only feature that belied his usual comedy act were his muscles-some less bulging than others, but not an inch of him lacking in visible strength. He was only of a medium build, but she knew, and had seen, that he was perfectly capable of taking down men larger and bulkier than he.

"Heyla! If it isn't my daring daughter, who comes back prettier than when she left! I thought it wasn't possible!" He then put his hand on Karyla's head, scratching the head as though he were ruffling someone's hair. "And this is the white beauty that whisked her off, hmm? It's too bad our last Midwinter was ruined by bandits, otherwise we would have been acquainted sooner. Well, I certainly taught them a lesson!" He then laughed with his whole body, as though his mirth had been bubbling inside him and could be contained no longer. Her mother, a gray-eyed noblewoman with a silky sheet of blue-black hair, simply smiled in the background, her elegance returning with each step Lord Hasenhower took away from her. Once a court beauty, albeit with extensive weapons training, she had adapted rather well to the harder lifestyle of the Border and was completely taken with Radwell's spontaneous nature. Elyssa had always admired her dignified presence-though it often disappeared next to her husband.

"Hello, Elyssa. You are back early," Lady Hasenhower smiled, putting away her sword of choice-a rapier, as that was the only weapon her elite weaponsmaster would train her in, excepting bow and arrow.

"You say I'm early, but you've left the gate open wide enough for all of Karse to squeeze in," she retorted. "Were you expecting other guests?" Her parents exchanged looks.

"You know how your father is," her mother waved off her concern with a tad too much delight, "He was simply so eager to see you." Radwell laughed.

"Oh my daughter, I couldn't fling the gates open fast enough! Why, I was considering lighting up the way to the mansion with vigil lights! Wouldn't that have been beautiful? Would it have made you come running back, tears in your eyes, as though the world was saying "Come hither, Elyssa! Come back to your home!"?"

"I'm afraid bandits would have the same thought, Father," she replied flatly, and then allowed herself a smile. Radwell was eccentric but not stupid. He was good at fending off raids and protecting his people, so she let herself in on the joke. Though, she shouldn't laugh _too _much-with enough encouragement, he might actually carry out one of his ridiculous scenarios. He laughed.

"That's my daughter for you-her tongue is what we should use to carve the boar tonight!" Elyssa blinked.

"B-boar? But it's not even Midwinter's _Eve_ yet!" With a twinkle in his eye, Radwell picked her up against her wishes.

"That's strange, because I've already received my present! Hah! We usually don't even have Midwinter gifts here, so I suppose there _was _a point in sending my daughter to Haven-so that I could have her back!" Elyssa blushed from embarrassment, but couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop.

The boar was, as she'd suspected, too much. On Midwinter's Day, all the estate would gather together to partake in the feast, so the boar was the right size then. Now, with just the manor trying to cluster around it, the hog was many sizes too big. Radwell, as expected, took no note, dropping himself in his seat at the head as though the boar was for him alone.

"Welcome back, Elyssa! The good Sir Hogginhash invites you to dine on him!" Elyssa rolled her eyes, as one of the kitchen staff served her a generous slice of Sir Hogginhash.

"How do they feed you up there? Did they manage to catch the chickens?" Lady Hasenhower asked.

"What a disorderly bunch. You'd think they would at least be able to keep an eye on their poultry in the capital," Radwell added cheekily. Elyssa sighed. Maybe-no, she had decided not to tell them for now, so she shouldn't change her mind.

"The fare's not bland, but it couldn't compare to Gerald's best," Elyssa replied, earning her a smile from the senior chef, who seated himself as well. Radwell liked to treat the whole staff as a large family, and for once she agreed with him.

"Then what about Gerald's worst?" A maid, Bretha, quipped. "The other day he served scrambled eggs with syrup!"

"The custard accidentally got too hot, and don't bring that up," he muttered, earning a laugh around the table. In the chorus, Elyssa noticed something amiss, and turned to the far end of the table, where a girl was hunched over her food, poking at it with intense focus. Radwell followed her line of sight and lit up.

"Elyssa, I haven't introduced you to the newest addition to our family." He gestured towards the girl, who seemed to shrink back at the flourish. "This is Heles. She'll be helping clean around the estate, so you'll probably run into her."

"I see. Hello, Heles." Elyssa smiled what she thought was a reassuring smile, but the girl was no less fidgety. She tried again. "Where are you from?"

"Ah, well, she doesn't speak any dialect of Valdemar, not even Common," Radwell scratched his head. "We saved her from a slave trader who was heading to Hardorn, so we figure she's probably Rethwellan."

"Is that so? But only Mother speaks Rethwellan." Lady Hasenhower sighed.

"And not very well, I'm afraid. I think I've managed to convince her that your father is not also a slave trader, at least."

_:That seems like a low standard,: _Karyla commented.

_:Certain things they just don't seem to find very important,: _Elyssa shrugged. _"Though they probably just assume that she'll come to like Father eventually.:_

"So did you make any new friends up there?"

"Not since a few letters ago, no. Father, you do read my letters, right?"

"Oh certainly, we had quite the ball with the chicken story!" _Hm... _"Your packs were particularly large this time, so we thought maybe some of your admirers sent you gifts for Midwinter."

"I don't have any admirers," Elyssa denied, a hair too quickly. Radwell scratched his head.

"Is that so? No, that's not possible, you probably just don't notice them, my dear daughter! They could just pass by you in the hallway and fall in love. Isn't that right, my dear?" He turned to Lady Hasenhower, who smiled politely.

"Yes, of course. Elyssa, you just aren't the type to take note of these things." _She isn't fooled_.

"I don't believe this conversation is quite appropriate," Elyssa redirected. "Besides, a large part of the pack is a pillow my friend Alys made for me. Despite that she sews a lot, she's not very good at it. I simply didn't have the heart to leave behind her literal blood and tears." Bretha laughed.

"You say that, my lady, but your packs are mostly filled with weapons. Will you be requesting all the staff to accompany you for boar hunting? I fear that I haven't the experience."

"You can never be too prepared," Elyssa replied, amid the curious bout of laughter. "Is today a holiday where we interrogate homecoming Trainees? I must have missed the notice."

"Speaking of admirers, I had quite a following back in my day," Lady Hasenhower said wistfully. "It was like herding sheep, but much more interesting."

"Please reconsider, my dear!" Radwell interrupted, grasping her hand in an overly dramatic way. "I think I make a handsome sheep, a hundred times more interesting than those louts." Lady Hasenhower giggled. Elyssa sighed, slightly with exasperation and a bit of relief, settling back into the routine she had before she was Chosen. She really had missed home.

._

_:You know, growing up in a house like this, I have to wonder how you turned out the way you did, all serious and the like,: _Karyla commented, a bit of sleepiness creeping into her Mindvoice. Dinner was a long affair as she'd expected, and Karyla had done a lot of running today, even for a Companion.

_:Don't be fooled by what you see. It is because we don't expect bandits right now that they're that carefree,: _replied Elyssa, laying out the contents of her pack onto the dresser. _:Then again, it's true that I have the smallest sense of humor of the bunch. Maybe I'm just making up for Father's excessive jocularity.:_

_:You don't have much respect for him, do you?:_

_:I do. I just wish he would be a bit more serious.: _Noticing she had pulled out the mirror, she studied it a bit more. She didn't have much of an eye for these things, but she could tell it was well-crafted-the chase was lovely, and the mirror's surface was flawless. Trust a merchant's son to find such a piece. Pulling out her chair, she settled down in front of her dresser, gazing at the mirror just like some court flower would do. Remembering his words, she tried not to blush. _What am I, some starry eyed prepubescent girl? Besides, he probably says things like that all the time. I shouldn't put any meaning in it. _Still, out of all possible gifts, Eldren had chosen to give her a mirror. Since he must know how much she preferred weapons, there must have been some reason. _Oh, that hair is sticking out. I suppose I should fix that._


	12. Elyssa's Midwinter 2

hey all!

Wow, it's been awhile. I was debating putting this chapter up as I'm not sure anyone's interested...but well, it's written (since the holidays, hence the plot) and here it is. In relevant but other news, I'm slowly getting off my addiction to nanowrimo (and forgive me if this chapter reads funny, since I wrote my nano in present tense and am still readjusting), though I'm still considering how much longer I should be making this story, so updates may or may not be as frequent. Well, it was all a product of my vanity anyway...alright, I should stop rambling now.

* * *

"Mother. Mother!" Lady Hasenhower turned to her daughter, who was racing down the stairs.

"Good morning, Elyssa. Are you that excited about the holidays? You haven't even changed your clothes."

"Mother, have you seen my mirror?" she asked, slightly breathless. Lady Hasenhower tilted her head.

"I haven't been to your room since you've come back. I didn't even know you had a mirror." She turned to Bretha, who shrugged. Elyssa frowned.

"How strange. Maybe I misplaced it?"

"Since you've already come down, do stay for breakfast-Elyssa?"

Pulling out drawers for the dozenth time, Elyssa finally slammed her hands down on the dresser in frustration, making everything on its surface jump. _The mirror is gone! How could I have possibly lost the blasted thing? _She had it just last night-could she have possibly gone downstairs with it? No, that seemed unlikely-

_:Chosen, you've become quite attached to that mirror, haven't you?: _Karyla drawled, a yawn in her voice.

_:It was my first Midwinter present, more importantly _mine_, and it has randomly gone missing off the top of my dresser. It would be weird if I weren't worried, you lazy girl,: _Elyssa retorted, checking under her bed. She then realized what she was doing. _Why would I ever put that thing under my bed? That's ridiculous. And how much time am I wasting looking for this trinket? _Karyla had a point. A mirror was always at most an accessory, and she had more important things to do. _I didn't need a mirror in the first place, anyway. I just won't tell Eldren. The thought is what matters, right? Of course it is. _Nodding, she composed herself with the dignity she had discarded for the last mark and prepared for the day.

Her determination lasted until midday, when a messenger came with the mail.

"A letter for me?" Elyssa blinked, lowering her rapier. She had been in the middle of sparring with her mother, who was as sharp as ever. "Strange, I didn't think of Alys as the sort to write a letter." After taking a quick glance at the envelope, Lady Hasenhower handed her daughter her mail.

"I must say, Elyssa, your _Alys _has impeccable penmanship," she remarked. After opening the letter, Elyssa realized what she was talking about.

_Dear Elyssa:_

_Are you well? I hope this letter gets to you by Midwinter, so that my wishing you a good holiday is not belated. By the way, happy Midwinter._

Elyssa glanced up from the letter and caught her mother's look. Impeccable, certainly; from Alys, most certainly not. She controlled her expression as she read on.

_I am back at home, settling back into being pampered by my maid. It's difficult to have all my needs and whims taken care of again, but I suppose I shall manage. You might be interested to know that Hannan has managed to make the sundries girl smile the other day. Unfortunately, it was because he got attacked by a wild turkey. The jester also bought Alys a present only to give it away to a particularly teary eyed beggar. I suggested he buy three next time, if he wanted to make it to Alys with something still in hand. I'm glad Heralds don't get permanently stationed in cities often because he would certainly be bled dry._

_As for Alys, she's been entertaining herself very well, either fantasizing about her beloved Trainee Alberich _(Elyssa gagged) _or romping about the town with some friends from the city. I presume they met at the orphanage, but I'm not really sure. Whatever the case, the two seem like a nice bunch. One is a rather boisterous rascal who only abets Alys in making the strangest of excursions, whereas the other is a very straightlaced but innocent boy. I think you'll like them, though the latter may surprise you at first-he is very scarred, and I haven't the mind to inquire why._

_How are things at Hasenhower estate? Getting a lot of sparring done, per usual? I imagine that's your idea of a holiday, but don't exercise too much, or you will beat me 99 times out of 100, and then I will have nothing left with which to impress you. Keep in touch._

_Best,_

_Eldren_

"No admirers, hm?" Lady Hasenhower asked, polishing her blade coquettishly as though checking her nails.

"He doesn't count. He chases every tail he sees," she retorted haughtily, and folded the letter into her pocket. "Are you done already, Mother? We've only just gotten warmed up, you know."

"Oh no, I believe I'm done for the day. It _is _almost the Midwinter Festival, so I shall help with the preparations. After you've finished a reply or tied up any loose ends you may have, you should also come help." Elyssa frowned at her mother's receding figure. She wasn't exactly sure what Lady Hasenhower was thinking, but she definitely had the wrong idea about something. Didn't they understand that Trainees had no time for this kind of nonsense?

Nevertheless, Elyssa spent the next mark looking for the (blasted!) mirror. It was rather ridiculous, considering she didn't need such a frivolous thing anyway. Sighing, she sank back into her chair.

_Alright, I'm done. I need training. I need to better my swordsmanship and not my vanity._

_:This isn't the first time you've said that,: _Karyla piped up.

_:I know. It's just, well, where could it possibly be? Did someone take it? But who would do that?: _Elyssa sighed again. After taking a moment to regard her dresser once again, she ultimately decided to hit it out of frustration. A squeak behind her caught her attention, and she turned around to see the very cowed new maid, clutching a dustcloth to her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elyssa apologized, getting up to greet her. Heles took a step back."Is everything going well for you? Are you adjusting okay?" Heles didn't seem to comprehend, her face oscillating confusion and fear. Elyssa grimaced and tried to approach her carefully. _I need to be more careful of what I'm doing. Fancy me throwing a tantrum. It won't do to scare the help. _"I've just been a little on edge today. It's not your fault. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I-I good," the girl stammered. Elyssa smiled in what she thought was a reassuring way, but judging from the maid's hasty retreat, she was fairly sure she didn't accomplish anything. _Not about the maid, nor the mirror...at least I can write a letter back, if my guilt about losing his present doesn't stop me._

"Elyssa, is something the matter?" asked Radwell, concerned. Elyssa stopped pushing around her lunch. "You're looking rather haggard, especially considering today is Midwinter's Eve. At this rate, you won't be ready for the vigil, you know." She looked questioningly at her father.

"Father, when have we ever done a vigil?" she asked, a petulant tone creeping into her voice. Radwell just laughed.

"Simply pulling your leg, dear daughter! We've some old bones here that can barely stay up during the day, let alone the night!"

"And who might you be referring to?" Gerald asked imperiously. Radwell shrugged. Elyssa managed a smile.

"I was just up late, is all," she said. Her parents exchanged a look but didn't pursue the subject, instead moving on with the preparations for Midwinter in their usual, eccentric manner.

She was fairly sure the resulting celebration was as large as ever. Everyone in the estate had gathered in the manor, socializing in the great hall, which was filled to the brim with all manners of savory pies and sweet pastries, the lights flickering merrily off the tapestries on the walls. There were many familiar faces that she was happy to see, but for some reason her mood stayed dour. _Is this because of that silly mirror? Doubtful-it's probably because the way I lost it was so strange. I've fixated on it because I can't figure it out._

_:Yes, that's exactly it, Chosen,: _Karyla yawned.

_Of the people here, I'm surely the killjoy. _Swirling her cup of mead listlessly, she watched her father gesticulate in all manners of ostentation. Gerald had put on his best outfit for the occasion and made some attempts to tidy up his thinning hair, and even the most stoic of the staff was grinning.

_Except Heles,_ Elyssa realized. Although the girl had been flitting about during the preparations earlier, she hadn't seen the newest hand all evening.

"-and then I had Orwen pretend to be one of the bandits I captured and scream his head off like a little girl. Oh, and then we threw some pig guts out the window! Why, you've never seen a group of grown men run so fast-"

_I suppose I don't need to hear this story for the twentieth time, _Elyssa thought, rolling her eyes. No, considering her possible background, it would be good to see that Heles wasn't too troubled by the commotion.

* * *

The girl sat in the corner of her quarters, shaking as she tried to fix what she had done.

In her hands was the lady's mirror, broken in three pieces. Although she tried to hold them together, they were stubbornly apart, the rift between the jagged lines never lessening. She had tried all forms of adhesive, but everything proved useless.

Try as she might, the girl couldn't keep tears from falling onto the silver plates, further sullying the lady's goods. She knew the young mistress loved the mirror, regularly gazing into it in the morning and night. It was only natural that she would throw a fit upon realizing it was gone, stolen from her room. The girl stole it anyway because it would be better than if the lady knew it was broken.

_I shouldn't have taken it, _she mourned again, trying once more to piece the mirror together, this time with honey. She wasn't even that pretty, but she couldn't resist touching the mirror. Poor all her life, the presence of such a work was bewitching. Even the merchants at home hadn't carried a mirror with such a smooth, polished surface and such a charming design on the edges. She had never been a clumsy person, yet she had chosen the worst time to be so.

Ever since they saved her, the people of the manor had been nothing but kind. Though the lord scared her, she learned his heart was as large as his laugh, and despite her reservations, she also wanted to join the celebration. Still, how could she enjoy herself when she had committed such a grave crime? No, no use pretending, this wasn't self-punishment, but fear-unlike the lord and lady, the young missus's temper was considerable.

_She might beat me-no, she'll definitely beat me, _the girl thought. After all, she had been beaten for less at home. Even worse, she might be kicked out, to be scooped up by slave traders or bandits again, killed in the winter cold, death first creeping in through her frozen solid toes-

"Heles?" The girl whipped around, suddenly face to face with the last person she wanted to see. The young mistress was staring at the mirror, her eyes rotating between the pieces and the girl's face, whose color was draining rapidly. The girl was so scared she forgot to gulp. It was impossible to read the lady's expression, as it seemed to fluctuate wildly between astonishment and anger. _Of course she's angry, _the girl thought, her lip trembling. _She's spent the last week looking for it like a possessed woman, only to find it like this_.

"Is that my mirror?" The lady asked, slowly and hesitantly. The girl could only nod. The ensuing silence seemed to last forever. Finally, the lady reached over, past the girl who instinctively flinched, and gathered the pieces of the mirror into her hands. As the lady looked into them, the girl thought of how pretty the lady was now, all done up for the party like a doll. And to think, the girl had broken it just to look at her own ugly mug-

"This is perfect." Although she had prepared herself for a blow, the girl couldn't help but look up at the lady with surprise. Her Common wasn't very good, so perhaps she had heard incorrectly? Nevertheless, she was greeted with a smile. The smile was so unwontedly warm that she stared. "I should have given you a welcoming present but didn't know what. Now this mirror is exactly the right shape." With that, she placed the largest piece of the mirror in Heles' hands.

_The lady then grinds it into my hand, the glass cutting into my skin, laughing as she asks if I'd really thought she'd forgiven me, then she proceeds to kick me to the ground and then throws me out the next day-_

"Heles?" The girl looked into the lady's questioning gaze, then back down at her hand. No, none of that had happened. The girl didn't dare to believe what was happening, even as the lady retracted her hand, leaving the piece of the mirror in the girl's unwounded hand.

"Would you like to come down and meet everyone else? It would be a shame for you to spend your first Midwinter here alone." The lady smiled again-the smile trembles slightly, but the voice is kind. Although she could think of other scenarios where this was all an elaborate trick, for some reason she believed in the sincerity of that voice. Perhaps it was because the people of this manor have always been kind to her, and the lady should be no exception.

* * *

Elyssa sighed.

"Companions are strong, but I don't think Karyla can, or even should, walk halfway across Valdemar with a whole feast strapped to her back."

"Nonsense! Didn't you have her walk halfway across Valdemar with a whole armory strapped to her back?" Lord Radwell put his hands on his hips.

"You exaggerate," Elyssa grumbled, taking off a sack of cheeses and throwing them to Bretha. "We look like a food cart."

"Hah! Food carts wish they had anything this delicious!" Radwell threw his head and laughed, as though he had won some tournament. With much bickering, the Hasenhower family finally compromised, with Elyssa only taking back some sausages and the kitchen's signature pies.

"Before I leave, Father, there's something I wish to tell you. About the nature of my letters-"

"A war, right?" Elyssa blinked. The lord and lady of Hasenhower looked to her with strong gazes, though a smile still played on Radwell's lips.

"We received your message, Elyssa," Lady Hasenhower said. "We had noticed something different at our sentry posts, even without."

"Then why didn't you-"

"And ruin Midwinter?" Radwell laughed as though this was absurd. "There's a time and place for everything, my dear daughter, and when you've returned, it is only a time for revelry!"

"Father-" Elyssa started warningly.

"Never you mind, Elyssa. Hurry back to Haven and do what you do best." He patted Karyla one more time. "Which is everything, by the way!"

"Father-"

"Worry not for us, Elyssa," Lady Hasenhower interrupted, a smile on her face as well. "We shall take care of ourselves, as we always do." Defeated, Elyssa simply nodded. As the farewells came to an end, she at last greeted the young servant that had broken her mirror. Heles beamed up at her-perhaps giving up the mirror had been worth it.

"Goodbye, Heles. I shall be back next winter." The girl fidgeted, and Elyssa waited for her words.

"I learn speak better," she said, her voice straining with each word. Elyssa smiled.

"And I will try to learn Rethwellan." Heles put a hand on Karyla to stop Elyssa from leaving.

"Name-not Heles. Heles-home."

"O-oh, is that so?" _Heles is the name of her town? Why didn't she tell us earlier? _Heles-the girl nodded.

"Name, Salilemesthena!" There was a moment of silence as everyone digested this conversation. Elyssa looked at her parents, but it was Gerald that spoke.

"Alright, she's definitely Rethwellan."


	13. Kerchen's Midwinter 1

hey all!

Wow, it's been awhile. I've been really debating the inclusion of this next tale and tried to rework it to satisfaction, but since it's been, well, awhile, I just said, screw it, I'm going to go with it. So if anyone is disappointed with the direction of this story as a whole from before, now, and in the future...I sincerely apologize.

* * *

Kerchen blew into the air, watching the white puff of his breath disappear into the night. Karse had a considerably more temperate climate, and the novelty of Valdemar's winter still hadn't worn off. Midwinter was just beginning, and he wondered what to do with this thing called leisure time. It was a strange concept, but he had a few weeks to ponder it. He headed back, debating whether he should visit Grandma Magdee instead.

_No, it's too late. Alys certainly talks a lot-it shouldn't have taken that long. _Luckily, it had taken long enough that Alvira had turned in for the night already. While he loved her very much, he would really prefer not to ride anymore today. _She would have made me go around Companion's Field from noon til dark if it weren't for Alys. I should thank Alys for that. _But why did Alvira want to run so fanatically? Not only did she need to run all the time, she needed to run _with him._ Was it because she was a fairly old Companion who had never had a rider before? Kerchen found this unlikely given her independent disposition, but also had to admit guessing a person's hobbies was not his area of expertise.

He heard a sound behind him, a strange, shifting sound a bit more self-conscious than an average passerby. As he reached the gardens, Kerchen took a roundabout path through them, and heard the peculiar footsteps continue to shuffle behind him the whole way. Kerchen suppressed a smile at the loud crunching of the snow behind him-someone was tailing him and not doing a good job of it at all. _It must be Dieder. How bored must he be to try to surprise me in this weather? _For all that the snow was charming, it was simply too cold for these antics. Kerchen turned around to call him out-

-and that was all he remembered.

The shock of the icy cold water jolted him back to consciousness. He gasped, completely disoriented, waiting for everything to refocus. _What is this? Where am I? _He tried to move, but his arms and legs were bound to his chair. He had just opened his eyes when another bucket of water crashed into his face. The temperature took his breath away, and he bit back a gasp.

"Look he's awake!" A feminine voice simpered, dangling the "a" like bait in the air, and a chorus of laughter bubbled up. Incredulous, he looked up towards the sounds. The owner of the voice, an elegant girl wrapped in an elaborate fur coat, looked down at him from behind her white, fur trimmed fan. For all that she looked like a doll, her expression repulsed him.

"Are you thirsty, brat?" Someone else asked, with fake sympathy dripping from his smooth voice. "Here, drink up!" He threw another bucket of water onto Kerchen, who involuntarily shuddered. As the room burst into laughter, Kerchen glared up at the crowd from behind his soaking hair as his situation became clear.

_Those Blues from that table. _He recognized them now-Rahlen Poitregas, Shendelle Fairtheld, Verenth Thirnend-all the people surrounding him were the highborn that had noticed him on the first day. By this time, he had treated them as fixtures of the Collegia-often present but irrelevant. They had always talked of nothing of import-though now he suspected that was because they had been conscious of his presence. Rahlen and Shendelle-he met them in the market as well. He had no doubt that they had spearheaded this debacle.

"Are you clean? Let me see your face," Rahlen exclaimed with delight, and yanked his head up by his hair. Kerchen willed himself not to make a sound, not to give him the satisfaction of hearing it, though a grunt escaped his teeth as Rahlen jerked his head to the side, tearing out a sizable clump of hair. "That'll teach you," he sneered, spitting on his face. "Where these silly Grays get the idea that their kind can disrespect us-well, I simply don't know."

_Disrespect you? I gave you a shove, and so you sneak up behind me, knock me out, tie me to a chair and taunt me, and _I'm_ disrespecting _you? Kerchen was furious and hardly knew what to be most furious about-the spit that dripped from his face, his torn hair on the floor, the cold water that made every inch of him shudder, the rope binding that cut into his wrists, or the fact that he was being subjected to this because people like Rahlen had no decency. The laughter continued, and despite the small size of the wooden shed they were in, it seemed to echo and reverberate in his head endlessly. The more he thought about it and the more he listened to those spiteful voices, the more he wanted to burst with rage, to shout and scream and slam his chair against a wall and break it. He knew, however, that that would be pointless, and the anger that burned inside him chilled as he fingered the knife in his sleeve.

The nostalgic feeling of this cool mindset, which he had honed during his days as an agent, was almost strange, like an old glove that he had cast aside. He hadn't needed it since he had become a Trainee. Nevertheless, he was grateful for it, as otherwise he would have tried to do something stupid like thrashing about and letting his anger control him. No, an agent of Goroch's would die of shame before he so petulantly gave up a golden opportunity to seize the situation.

He surveyed the room. This was the usual clique, not just the ones who were at the market. Jedeth Levalen was missing, though of Rahlen's close cohorts, he was the only one who attended weapons class. Virenth had shown up occasionally but had quickly switched to a private tutor. _Did they think they could take me on without Jedeth? _Jedeth had sparred with him, so he would have known Kerchen was stronger than any assembled. Then again, they had only planned to wage war while he was tied to a chair. That fact only made him more resolute to teach them a lesson.

The knife he pulled from his sleeve was his favorite, a gift from his old mentor. Father Goroch's knife was a fine work that rarely dulled. The ropes were already giving way-with only a bit of patience, he could surely deal these fools their just deserts.

"What, you're not going to say anything?" Rahlen poked him a couple of times, relishing the latter's inability to retaliate. "If you don't want us to throw you into the river, you better start apologizing for what you did now." Laughing, he shoved Kerchen's head abruptly and toyed with his face, flicking his nose, pinching his cheek, aware of the humiliation he was inflicting.

_They're overconfident. They're full of themselves. _That was the weakness of greedy men, consuming more than they could swallow. The former assassin repeated these things to himself over and over, a concentrated effort to stay calm as he endured the jeers and taunts that he never had to experience before. At the Academy, everyone had been equal before the Weaponsmaster Berthold. Though aged and whitehaired, Berthold was strong enough to enforce total discipline in his domain, no matter the background of the student. They could get unruly, but there were always lines that weren't crossed. That discipline and humility was entirely absent in the nobles, who seemed to think themselves their own lords.

Why? Why was it that they thought they could do this and go unpunished? The answer hit him like a bolt, not unlike the sting of pain in his cheek.

_Because they're untouchable in Valdemar's system._ Everything started to make sense-Dieder's reaction at the market, why the highborns would get away with things that would not have been tolerated in any other Circle in the Collegia, the way the Grays would run to wealthier Trainees in case of trouble with the highborn Blues-suddenly a lot of things that he hadn't quite understood were locking into place. _Nobility makes you untouchable. Money is power itself._

"What is it, you cur? You really want to taste the bottom of the riverbed?"

_Even the Heralds have to work within that framework. Why? Because the Collegium is funded by taxes, as Rahlen said?_

"What? Look at this! This little whelp's face was all prettied up!"

"What, is that powder-on a _boy_? Eww, how gross. Even for a commoner, I wouldn't expect such a disgusting habit."

_That must be it, but the exchange has already been made in Valdemar's safety. There's no need for them to cater to these brats-there's no need for me_ _to cater to them._

"Hah! It looks like our favorite Gray was a slave in his previous life. Just because he's wearing some white smock, the whipping boy now thinks he's some kind of _hero_."

_They've gone unpunished too long. The knife is as sharp as when it was forged-the ropes are giving way. I can do it. Just a little more._

"Isn't that right, little boy?" Rahlen laughed, yanking his head up by his hair again. This time, however, he was ready. Very deliberately, the Trainee eyed everyone in the room-Shendelle in the corner, Rahlen on Virenth's right, and two more not too behind Rahlen- and spat squarely on Rahlen's face. Silence descended into the shack, the terrified kind of silence that happens when someone receives their first grave injury. Virenth was the first to retaliate.

"You filthy dog!" he shouted, kicking Kerchen as hard as he could, and raised his boot to kick him again after he fell to the ground. Kerchen gave a grunt as his arm made a sickening crack under the chair, surprised that he had hit the ground with such force to break his arm-well, bones would heal anyway. The impact of the chair hitting the ground was enough force to help Kerchen cut through the last of the rope, and he jumped up, barely avoiding Virenth's boot. He'd lost his arm, but his other hand was enough to handle brats like these.

His superficial calmness burned away into rage, and he watched their widening eyes with a grim satisfaction. _Let them know what dog they decided to wake tonight._ As Rahlen and his coterie stared at the now standing boy incredulously, Kerchen took the opportunity to punch Virenth in the gut, finishing with a kick after the boy doubled over from the first hit. As he'd suspected, Virenth was not even near Jedeth's level, barely able to react before his face hit the ground. Passing the knife into his good hand, he scanned them, almost smelling the fear and uncertainty that had washed over the highborns and felt a hint of annoyance. How dare they look like victims? Did they not see what they had done? His right arm dangled by his side, doing nothing but hurting. His body was soaking wet, no longer shuddering only by virtue of his fury. He had been tossed around like a ragdoll, eaten more dirt than any hog, torn in some ways more than he had been when he had fought Alberich nearly to death. More than humiliating, it had been unjust.

"You will be punished for your crimes," Kerchen said, his voice coming out in a strange, low growl. He walked towards Rahlen, who similarly stepped back. "I am sure you are prepared for that." He ran towards the now cowardly noble, who fought back only in the manner of a cornered animal. The former assassin easily stepped out of the way of Rahlen's messy jabs, and sliced across the rich brocade of his coat from shoulder to shoulder. He only drew a shallow cut across Rahlen's chest, partially due to the thickness of the fabrics, but also because he didn't mean to kill his target then. Shendelle tried to make for the door, but Kerchen instinctively threw his knife as he caught her movement, the weapon pinning her large coat to the wooden wall. As she tried in vain to pull the knife out with her weak hands, Kerchen pulled Rahlen by the remains of his collar and, letting go, backhanded him as hard as he could, leaving a satisfying welt across his target's face. Rahlen was still conscious, so he grabbed his collar again, going for another blow-

_:Stop it!: _Alvira screamed, louder than anything he had ever heard, leaving him in a daze as his ears rang, even though the shout had been in Mindspeech. Rahlen took the opportunity to attack Kerchen, but the latter's reflexes kicked in, allowing his attacker only the slightest tap on his body.

_:Alvira? Wha-:_

_:Don't you dare! How could you hurt them-:_

_:People who commit crimes are punished, and if you try to tell me _that's_ wrong-:_

_:Think!: _The voice that he heard wasn't the usual jaunty tones of his Companion, but a shrill, fearful Mindvoice. _:If word of what you've done gets out, imagine the trouble it would cause the king, the Heraldic Circle! The nobles would retaliate against us, our reputation destroyed-:_

_:How could it be destroyed if they-:_

_:You don't understand how it works here, Kerchen! You don't understand anything about Valdemar!: _The words sent a cold chill through his body, but he didn't have time to reflect as Alvira's white frame burst into the shack, her hooves trampling over what now remained of the door. He wasn't sure what her reasoning was, but for now he simply had to trust that she was right and hide the incident. His hand lingered on Rahlen's collar, indicating to the noble that the peasant could do whatever he chose.

"I'll let you go." Kerchen shoved Rahlen away as Alvira pulled out Goroch's knife from Shendelle's overcoat with her teeth. "But breathe a word of this to anyone, then do not think I will hesitate to kill you. And I will find out. Understand?" Rahlen's only reply was his scramble to follow Shendelle and the rest of his companions out what used to be the door, but Kerchen was certain that Rahlen took his words to heart.

_:I cannot believe you!: _Alvira faced Kerchen, reared as though she would strike or flee at any moment.

_:He's not going to say anything, I'm sure of it-:_

_:That's not the problem! You threatened to kill him! You would have!:_

"They were going to throw me into the river, they tossed me around-"

_:They were just saying that! And what they _did_ hardly warrants _murdering _them-:_

"How can you be so sure? They've already gone this far-"

_:It doesn't matter! We don't just kill people left and right in Valdemar!: _Kerchen started to defend his reasons for attacking them, but the thought of another implication sent a strange wave of fear through him.

_:Do you think we do that in Karse?: _he asked, meaning to use his real voice but found it caught in his throat. Alvira took only a small step back, but that was all the answer he needed.

_:I don't know what happens there,: _she replied, her voice teeming with fear and regret. _:I don't even know _you_, whom I Chose. Despite how you came here, I didn't think you were a killer.:_

_A killer. _This line, one that he had never expected to hear from Alvira, made him stagger, as though it had been a physical blow.

"I-I am not, I-" Kerchen gasped, suddenly unable to find words or organize his thoughts. If he weren't shocked stiff, his knees certainly would have given way.

_:Other Companions were worried about you, because they think I didn't have a Calling. I'm beginning to think that-perhaps I didn't.: _Alvira backed out slowly, her hooves stepping backwards with the gait of one retreating from an enemy. _:Perhaps I made a mistake in Choosing you.: _More than even the revelations in her words, her posture frightened him. Kerchen found himself frozen, forgetting how to run to her to stop her from leaving. _:I refused to listen to them. I trusted you, I believed in you.:_

_:Al-Alvira-: _Oh Sunlord, Alvira-

_:No, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see you.: _And she left, leaving only a hole in his heart in her wake.


	14. Alys's Midwinter

Somehow, Kerchen found his way back to his room, not remembering the journey at all. After locking his door, he staggered, gasping as though his chest itself was forcing the air out of him, as though some invisible force were squeezing him and holding him down. He felt hollow, like someone had plucked everything out of his soul and left behind a shell that stood only by some miracle. His knife that he had absently placed back into his sleeve fell out as his arm groped for the desk. Reflecting moonlight from its still beautiful blade, it reminded him of his spirited retaliation only marks earlier, and now he could only scoff.

_I was ready to do anything, but now what?_ _Now I'm just a useless collection of limbs. And one of them doesn't even work._

He looked down at the floor, wanting nothing more than to fall apart. Years of training his perseverance, however, told him otherwise, and only by sheer force of will did he keep his face from the ground._ No, I can't stop, or I won't continue at all. I should do something, anything. Maybe a bath. _Although he didn't really want to, there was a part of him that knew, logically, that he would freeze to death if he didn't at least get rid of his wet clothes.

Without much conviction, he struggled his clothes off with his good arm, then tossed them to the side. The tunic was already frozen in corners and filthier than he remembered. Even the underclothes had dirt stains and were as soaked as the tunic. _Father Goroch would hardly approve of this. I should put it with the rest of the laundry and then rinse off._ But he only made it as far as the bed before he lost interest in his goal. It was amazing, really, how incredibly pointless everything else seemed compared to the barrier that Alvira had erected in his mind.

Only Alvira could fill the emptiness he felt. He knew that, but he didn't want to crawl back to her on his knees. He hadn't been wrong, at least didn't think he was wrong, and therefore wouldn't pretend to be as such. A flare of indignation rose up from his gut.

_Why am I being punished for doing what I believe is right? Why is it wrong to attack those who attack me first? Should I wait until I kiss the bottom of the Terilee? _He tried to nurse his anger to rekindle his spirits, but it was a wasted effort that reverted back to a stupor of listlessness. Productive by nature, he had no idea how to cope with this unwonted lethargy. _I don't know what to do. _And he didn't even want to think about it.

._._._._.

Alys turned on her side. And turned to her other side. Finally, she sat up.

_Where is he? _she frowned. It wasn't like Kerchen to be late-he would always come early or very early. Sometimes too early, but never _late._ _Admittedly, we didn't expressly agree to meet today, but-no, that couldn't be it. _Even when she didn't ask him to help her, he would drop by anyway to check up on her-and she had never refused his company before either. A strange idea burgeoned in her mind. _Could something have happened to him? Could he be sick? In trouble? _He always seemed so competent, so the notion was odd, but Alys had a feeling that something was amiss.

_I know! _I'll_ go to _him! The idea was simple but brilliant. She leapt to her feet, an ungraceful jolt that was saved by her bed of cushions on the floor. She then paused. Where _was _Kerchen's room? She knew at least the floor of every Trainee she was acquainted with-so she thought-except for his. _It must be because he always comes here. _No, she hadn't visited most of the male Trainees' rooms either. _I guess because he's a quiet guy? At least when he's not with Dieder! _While amusing, now was not the time to reminisce. Kerchen was punctual and cautious to a fault, so it seemed very possible that something had happened. A sense of urgency fell on her-she _needed _to find his room. Well, Nessa was bound to know. Somehow, Nessa knew all of the boys' rooms, so Alys hopped off to find her.

A beautiful girl with wavy, light brown hair, sensuous lips, and a gaze described as sultry, Nessa only slept in her room half the time and never alone. Luckily, Alys had a good chance of finding her during this time of day, so she jogged down the steps of the dormitory tower, her feet clomping on the stone floor. Kerchen had a peculiar ability to come and go without making a sound; Alys had thought to ask him how but never remembered. She clomped similarly down the hallway to Nessa's room near the end, and knocked on her door.

"Coming!" A voice called out. _Good, she's here! _Nessa came out, her hairbrush still in her hand. Nessa seemed to enjoy primming herself-Alys found having someone else do the work was much more fun. "Oh Alys! I wasn't expecting you-you're lucky you found me, you know. I'm going back home tomorrow."

"I see, are you finishing things up now?" Nessa looked down on her clothes-not Trainee Grays, but an alluring négligée under a long beige coat-and gave Alys a knowing wink. Alys pretended to understand. "Would you happen to know where Kerchen's room is?" Her expression at first blank, Nessa then tilted her head.

"I don't believe I do. Maybe one of the boys-ah, Harrow should still be about, as should your Hannan. There are a few others whose families are in Haven, but then you'd be better off knocking on all of the doors in the boys' section until your Kerchen comes out." Although Alys felt there was something wrong about Nessa using the word "your", she thanked her anyway. So Nessa didn't know! That was unexpected. The next words out of her mouth, though, explained a lot. "So Alys, what's Kerchen like? Is he a good person?"

A little taken aback by the question, Alys said whatever came to mind. "Er, well, he's nice, very helpful-though he's pretty serious about some things and will never come late even if you beg him. Nessa, isn't that a strange question? He's a Trainee, so of course he's a good person." Nessa had the slightly vacant look of someone Mindspeaking, and Alys ignored the jealousy that accompanied seeing it. It wasn't the time for those things.

"Yes, of course," she purred. "That's what I thought as well. Seyrelle has just been a little edgy lately." A furrow appeared between her lovely brows as she resumed Mindspeaking. "When you find his room, tell me too." With a parting wink, she closed her door.

So Nessa herself didn't think anything was wrong with him, but her Companion did? Weren't Companions infallible? Was Lani also suspicious of him? No, that couldn't be true, otherwise she would have said so, somehow. Alys was pretty confused, but, well, now wasn't the time to ask these questions. Even though Kerchen was one of the most competent people she knew, Alys felt a nagging necessity to find him as soon as possible.

._._._._.

"Kerchen? Kerchen, open up! I know this is your room!" Alys's voice accompanied incessant knocking. Perched at his windowsill, Kerchen turned towards the direction of the door. The moonlight tonight was slight, so he was barely able to see the other side of his room. He wasn't in the mood to talk to her, but the din became loud enough to motivate him to find and answer the door.

"I am sorry Alys, but I am tired-"

"Lady Bright! Aren't you cold? What happened to your face?" Wondering what she meant, it occurred to him that he hadn't bothered hiding his scars that day. _Though I didn't get that bath so-oh right. The powders washed off from the bucket water._

"Actually, this is my normal face." While it was possible that the highborns had cut it last night, any new scratches would be unnoticeable on his particular skin. Alys's brows knitted, but as she opened her mouth, her gaze fell to his right.

"Lady Bright! What happened to your arm?" He followed her eyes.

"I broke it yesterday."

"What! And you haven't seen a Healer?" Alys's eyes bugged, and she grabbed hold of his good arm. "We have to go now! It'll get infected! You'll be crippled!"

"It is not important-"

"What's wrong with you? Of course it's important!" She took a moment to throw a shirt on him, and, with surprising strength, dragged him out of his room and down the stairs, leading him to the Healers' Ward.

_She's right, you know. A full bout of moping isn't worth your better arm._

_My better arm isn't worth losing Alvira, _he lamented, allowing Alys to lead him after feeble attempts to shake her off.

_You could apologize to her. _That was true, he could. Even if she refused to Mindspeak with him, he could find her in Companion's Field, tell her what she wanted to hear, that he was wrong, that he shouldn't have beaten his bullies and threatened to kill them-

_But that would be a lie. _He couldn't say for sure whether they deserved to die, but he wasn't going to cross it off immediately like Alvira did. They were threatening to kill him when all he had done was demand that they apologize for causing trouble-wouldn't _that _be murder? No, letting them off so easily was wrong, lying was wrong, and if there was anything he held as sacred as his memory of Lugard or his faith in Vkandis Sunlord, it was the morals that had been instilled into his core. _If being without her is what it takes to do what I think is right, then I have to accept that price._

_Pretty words, but you're still a mess._

_Nobody ever said the price wasn't steep. That's just how important honor is to me. _And he shoved that thought stubbornly at the empty part of his mind where Alvira used to be.

"Kerchen, you pay attention to me!" The boy snapped his head up with surprise, unused to the commanding tone in Alys's voice. "The Healer wants to ask you some questions." The Healer was a woman in her early twenties, with long, brown hair fastened into a low ponytail. Despite her youth, she wore the green robes of a Healer rather than a Healer-Trainee, but her face still wore the diffidence of a student, resembling a shy doe.

"Heyla Kerchen, my name's Sherri. I know Crathach is your main Healer, but since Alys said it was just a broken arm this time, I can mend this myself." Alys raised an eyebrow.

"You've been here before? Wait, what was it last time? Why is this _only _a broken arm?" Sherri put a hand over her mouth, realizing that she had slipped. Kerchen glanced at Alys, whose body was set in a commanding pose, her eyes no longer wandering in her usual, unfocused manner. _She is unusually perceptive today. Where is this change coming from? _Not in the mood to try to solve these questions, Kerchen tried to focus on getting the healing finished instead. As disinterested as he was, there was still a part of him that realized his arm was too important to lose. _I don't know if I could stand losing more of myself.._

"It is nothing," he replied, and turned to Sherri. "I would be grateful if you could fix this, Healer Sherri. I should have attended to it earlier. I am sorry to bother you." The Healer shook her head vigorously.

"No, not at all! This is what we're here for." She motioned for him to lay down and began moving her hands over his arm, feeling out the extent of the wound. Before he could close his eyes to rest again, Alys shoved her face intrusively into his line of sight.

"You still haven't told me how you broke that!" she said accusingly, wagging a finger at him. "Don't tell me it's from riding because your Companion would certainly have whisked you off to the Ward straightaway!" _Alvira-_

"N-no, I-" He closed his mouth, knowing nothing would have come out anyway. Alvira wasn't completely gone-he could still sense the part of his mind that she occupied, but it was locked to him like an abandoned house. The thought of her rejection was still unbearable. He took a breath and continued. "I am sorry, but I do not want to talk about it." Alys's frown deepened.

"Ker'," she started, using the name Dieder started calling him by, "while I respect your privacy, I can't ignore this. Your arm was broken and you didn't care, it's the dead of winter and your window was wide open-and Havens, you weren't even wearing a shirt!" She closed her face in on his, so that he couldn't escape. "Tell me Ker', what's wrong?"

_What's wrong? Besides that I was beaten and then told just to bear with it? Besides that Alvira promised me she'd stay with me no matter what and then takes off the moment I disagree with her? Besides that I can only get her back if I give up my own values? _This wasn't like before, when he had arrived in Valdemar, completely lost and unable to tell fact from fiction. He knew very well what his options were this time. He just seemed unable to live with either. The Healer kept silent, concentrating on his arm. Alys, however, continued to probe him, but every time he was reminded of the incident, he only felt worse.

"Please Alys," he managed, "Don't ask. I just-" _want to be left alone. _But he couldn't say those words. Despite everything, a part of him was happy that Alys had bothered to find him. He instead looked straight at her, hoping his gaze would be stronger than his voice. "I will be better. I need rest." Alys stared at him a bit longer, moving her head at different angles as though hoping to see something she had missed.

"If you say so," she said slowly, "I'm going to find you in the morning, ok? I'm taking you out, even if I have to drag you!" She wagged her finger at him-a typical Alys thing to do. Perhaps tomorrow, he would smile at it.


	15. Kerchen's Midwinter 2

Author's Note: Hey everyone! It's been awhile, but no, I have not abandoned this (and will not!). Getting back into gear, so short chapter, but something is better than nothing, I think...right?

* * *

Kerchen studied himself in the mirror. He was a bit gaunt, but since he had always been wiry, this would go unnoticed. He had donned a clean set of Greys, his makeup covered every mark of his past, and the Healer had Healed all his fresh wounds-it would be impossible for Alys to say he was anything but recovered.

_Now to convince myself of that._ He had futilely clawed away at the barrier in his mind that Alvira had set up all night like a cat caught out in the rain. By morning, his despair had slowly turned to anger; he resented that Alvira had so easily reneged on her promise to stay with him.

_If she really disagreed, she should instead try to explain why I'm wrong. She's punishing me out of hand, taking away her support until I give into her wishes. So I won't. _He repeated that to himself for the hundredth time. He wanted to be more angry, angry enough to forget the other things that she had said-that the other Companions didn't trust him, that she might have Chosen wrong-and he was almost succeeding.

A bout of incessant knocking grabbed his attention. "Ker' are you up? It's time to go!" Surprised, Kerchen opened the door to greet Alys, her hand poised for yet another round of pounding.

"You are up early," he remarked, inviting her in. Whenever they were going to town, he normally had to dig her out from under her pile of cushions. This morning, however, she had as much life in her face as she did during afternoons.  
"Of course!" she declared proudly, as though she always got up at this time. "Hey, do you know what day it is?"

"Er-"

"The height of the Festival! Today's the day when everything shuts down and everyone goes home!" Kerchen raised an eyebrow. Dieder certainly wouldn't approve of this definition of "height" for any festival. "Since you don't have any family to visit, you get to visit _my_ family!" She then smiled suddenly, struck by an idea. "Or you could _join_ my family! What say you, Ker'?"

"Um-"

"Oh right, you must be wondering. I come from an orphanage-we lived pretty simply, but from royal funding we were never too down on our luck. After Lani Chose me, I've been sending things there all the time," she answered immediately, even though that wasn't what he was going to ask. "Anyway, I bought all of the children presents, but because of that, I wasn't able to carry the couch I made!" _Couch? _"You'll help me carry it, right?"

"I-I suppose-" As soon as the confused words left his mouth, he found himself dragged down the stairs, with just barely enough time to shut his door. Her hand not letting up on his, Alys led him all the way up to _her_ room, and swung open the door with her mouth open in silent fanfare. One of the cushion piles in her room was pointed toward him, and Alys in turn pointed to the pile.

"That's the couch I made," she said brightly. "I wanted to color it, but I'm sure the littles will do that for me much more creatively anyway. It's too big for me to carry, so I was hoping you could help!"

"Y-Yes, certainly-" he began, baffled, but found the enormous featherbag already shoved into his arms. Sighing, he let himself give a slight smile and hoisted the oversized sack over his shoulder. On any other day, he would have told her to _try_ to help at least, but today, he simply followed her lead. Her rudeness was strangely lifting his spirits, as though all he needed was a bit of her vibrance.

The orphanage was located in the outermost ring of Haven, so the walk was long, despite Alys having led him down all sorts of shortcuts.

"I'm sorry about that last butcher," she apologized, "Normally his wife lets me through their house without any trouble."

"I do not blame him," replied Kerchen, still feeling a bit embarrassed about that incident. "It is not right to use other people's homes as roads."

"Then they're being too stingy!" Alys concluded, and continued trotting down the dirt path, occasionally chasing a pebble down the road with her foot. He strongly suspected that she was being unreasonable, even by Valdemaran standards. "Anyway, I'm glad you decided to come with me! Lani didn't seem to want to come-I think it's because last time, the kids were pulling her tail and braiding her mane." A pause. "Maybe if I had told them to braid the tail and pull the mane, she wouldn't have gotten so annoyed?"

"I think it is the same." Alys put a finger to her chin in thought, and then shrugged, resuming her zigzag path down the road. It hadn't snowed the day before, so the road was still quite clear. Due to the sparseness of the houses, this part of Haven resembled a village more, with the occasional resident walking to or from the city proper. The houses were slightly rundown but not filthy-all in all, a rather quaint part of town.

Alys suddenly veered to the right, following a much smaller path up to a large, squat brick house, enclosed entirely by a short wooden fence. The yard, both inside and outside the fence, was littered with snowmen, some more crude than others. As they passed mazes of footprints and snowcastles, Kerchen had no doubt that this was her orphanage. While he had been expecting something more subdued, the jaunty atmosphere the place exuded even in this cold seemed to match Alys's disposition entirely.

The moment Alys opened the (unlocked) gate, a trickle of children began to pile out, faces ruddy with excitement. A chorus of unsynchronized screams erupted, yelling out her name and that she was here and what did she bring. Despite the large cloth bag she wore on her back, she enthusiastically picked them up and swung them around effortlessly as though they were dolls. _She is stronger than I realized-sharper, too-was it my mistake? Have I, a former agent, underestimated her? _Or did she simply change? If so, what could have caused it? Although he tried to puzzle this out, he soon found himself swarmed by children half his height.

"Everyone say hi to your new friend Kerchen!" Alys called out from somewhere deeper in the building.

"Hi!" They cheered together, with some older children mumbling "heyla".

"He brought you a couch and he wants to play with you!" Another collective cheer. Kerchen looked to Alys, eyes silently pleading her to tell him what was happening, but found himself overwhelmed by the littles before he received a response. Paying no mind, Alys headed off into another room, and yet another, and yet another. While he wasn't sure what she was doing, it became clear very soon that she was preoccupied. _I suppose I'll take care of these littles for now.._

That was precisely what he did for the next few hectic marks. Rambunctious and playful, the littles were not like the subdued children in Karse, and not at all like those at the Holding. He wasn't really sure what to do with them, but they seemed eager to teach him. As they babbled at him in broken phrases, he discovered that these children knew a lot of games, many more than any little he had come across. He was, at different times, chasing them, being chased, sometimes with a ball, throwing things, hopping around, and in general doing things he wasn't used to doing. Although the level of exercise was hardly that of his classes, he found himself strangely exhausted halfway through. He persisted, if only out of sheer stubbornness not to be done in by a lot of children, and surprisingly found himself enjoying some of it. Some of the littles would burst into tears for whatever reason, but overall, Kerchen thought he had done a pretty good job of occupying them. He'd just finished another backbreaking round of Heralds and Companions when Alys came back, wooden spoons in hand.

"It's lu-unch!" She called out in a singsong voice. Most of the children bolted for her, yelling and running past her with seemingly boundless energy. She walked over to Kerchen, who sank down onto the floor. "They're fun, aren't they?"

"Energetic," he gasped. "Are they like this always?"

"Of course, they're kids," replied Alys matter-of-factly. "By the way, nice job playing as a Companion! I already had some littles tell me they wanted to play again after lunch." Kerchen swallowed his groan out of dignity.


End file.
